Kuroko no Ghost
by Raining Sky Guy
Summary: Kuroko Tetsuya has always been a loner. Not by choice but rather by his lack of presence. On the day of his sixteenth birthday, he receives quite the nasty surprise, but he will soon learn all about what has missed out on life, and just might not be bitter it happened. At least he's getting the chance to meet funny characters and he might be able to help.
1. Prologue

**A/N**

Before I continue this, I wanted to test the waters so to speak (and cutting it here kind of adds to the tension), so here's the prologue.

**Warning:** It's AU-ish. May or may not have bl. But most likely not. Nothing major though. Erratic updates since I'm neck-high in school.

* * *

Tetsuya had spent his whole life being ignored. Not purposely of course, the boy was too polite and good mannered for being treated like that. No, he simply didn't have enough presence to be noticed by anyone, and his parents weren't an exception. Though of the latter, Tetsuya was happy he could blame their work for that (they travelled the world either for a job or a meeting), since well, it's not nice getting forgotten.

That's how life was for Tetsuya when…he died. On the day of his sixteenth lonely birthday he went to his favorite place in the world. If he walked—without getting run over— to the edge of the city, if he followed the mountain trail that led all the way to the top, there he could see a pristine white gazebo overlooking part of the mountain as well as Tetsuya's city.

That was where Tetsuya currently was, leaning his elbows on the white rail, gazing at the thousands of people that couldn't notice him. He wasn't the only one there of course, but the couple that was there hadn't noticed him either.

The shadow boy sighed heavily. "Happy Birthday to me. Now I'm a year older. A year closer to the end of my existence. I wonder if someone will notice me now that I'm sixteen?" He repeated the words he uttered in each passing birthday, the hope of having friends never vanishing despite everything. He shook his head to get rid of depressing thoughts and, catching a glimpse of dark blue peeking from his side of the gazebo's roof he leaned over. As he craned his neck to catch a glimpse of what that blue was, the railing gave a loud creak-

And Tetsuya fell over, along with a rusty portion of the railing.

But he didn't die yet. No, fate was cruel enough to leave the boy hanging by a hand. Tetsuya cried out in panic, willing someone to _hear _him for once. He felt a bit relieved at hearing rushed footsteps and he saw the panicked faces of the couple —one brunette girl pushing her redhead girlfriend back slightly in a protective gesture— peeking from their safe vantage point.

Tetsuya couldn't dare to move, his voice was practically nonexistent by now (he barely spoke, and when he did it was in a whisper) so the boy could only convey his presence by staring at them….

"Oh my god! What happened here?" The redhead cried out in alarm, a hand resting on the brunette's shoulders.

"Looks like the railing was rusty," The other —unnecessarily said, brushing a hand against the redhead's. "Thankfully nobody was there when it happened, it's one ugly way of dying-"

"Hey, are you sure no one was here? That no one fell?" Tetsuya's face brightened suddenly. "I thought I heard someone screaming-"

"….Dear lord, I hope you're wrong. Hey! Is there anyone there?!"

"…Maybe whoever fell…just _fell_. You know what I mean…"

"…I guess all we can do now is call the police to give them the heads up…" The leading girl whispered in anguish. Anguish that reflected —tenfold— on the hanging boy.

Was it too much to ask?

The ground crumbled under Tetsuya's hand.

Was it really too much to ask?

Tetsuya's weight did the job of pulling the piece of dirt he had managed to grab on to apart, sending the numb boy tumbling to his death.

Why couldn't anyone see him? Why was it so hard to notice him?

Teal colored eyes filled with tears. It would have been much better if he hadn't managed to hang on, if he'd just died without that last sign that he didn't exist for anyone.

And just before the trees started clouding his peripheral vision, he caught sight of the top of the gazebo. There was nothing there.

'_The icing on the cake' _Tetsuya thought as a wry smile curved his lips, as the ground caught his fall unmercifully, as his vision blurred before darkening. At least, luck allowed his death to arrive at making contact.

To be Continued…

* * *

**AN.**

I kinda feel evil. And I was thinking that maybe ending it here would turn this prologue into a very angsty drabble. Poor Kuroko. lol

So, whad'ya think? You curious on what it's going to be about? Curious on how can this be a TBC when the main Chara died? No, nada? Alright…

Leave a review with your thoughts.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I hereby pronounce that everyone that fave'd this story after that prologue is a sadist :D.

Thanks tho, and everyone that followed as well!

**Warning: **I upped the rating to T just for some cusses... I blame Aomine.

Enjoy.

* * *

Teal-colored orbs opened to gaze at a shining blue sky. The sky…was really pretty. The boy felt as if he could float up to the sky, he felt weightless, bodiless. But that wasn't right, was it?

He then remembered his fall.

Tetsuya jackknifed into a sitting position, head swirling. He was in the forest. The same one he had come crashing down. '_I am alive?' _Kuroko asked himself, an alarming expression of scorn marring his features. '_Keeping me alive after that?' _

Was this some sort of sick joke? To make Tetsuya believe he'd die, then… then what? Nothing hurt, had he really fallen? No, something did hurt…was it his head? Yeah, his head hurt a little…Maybe he had dreamed it all? Maybe he was still in a dream.

Tetsuya stood up, everything felt pretty real until now. He started to look around when he caught sight of a body. More specifically, his own body. Tetsuya got closer, morbid curiosity overriding any sort of shock of seeing his own mangled body like that. Boy, did he have a gruesome imagination. Standing next to the body's split-open head, the teal-haired male examined the injuries with disgusted fascination. So he had cracked open his skull, and left a pretty big gap, he could see his gray matter spattered on the blood-soaked ground—it looked as if his head had exploded. The rest of his body hadn't ended up any better—what with bones jutting out in every direction. But before he could truly start to disgust himself, Tetsuya turned away, scanning his surroundings instead. His dull headache had transformed into a pang of pain.

He looked down— wondering what else this dream had to offer— and was surprised to notice that he was hovering few centimeters off the ground. Almost as if he was a ghost. Kuroko for once forgot about all the disgraces that had happened earlier and wondered since when he had such active imagination. '_What a bizarre dream.'_ He told himself. But a sense of foreboding had settled in his stomach. The teen glanced back at the—_his_— disfigured body and he realized that the pain in his head was pure dread.

He couldn't…he couldn't be _dead_, could he?

Tetsuya ran a hand through his hair, feeling increasingly ill. Closing his eyes, he replayed the last moments he remembered.

He had fallen…from the white gazebo and then just free fell…to the ground.

But this…this _was _a dream, right?

The teen let out a life-weary sigh. Who was he kidding? He had died. He was dead. Nobody could survive such a fall after all.

But he didn't wallow too long in despair, anger quickly overriding his senses. This just had to be a joke. Kuroko Tetsuya had spent sixteen years being treated as if he wasn't there, and now that he's dead he has to spend his whole damned afterlife as a freaking _ghost_!? Whose great idea was to have an afterlife? The teal-haired teen glared at the sky —and whatever power existed above— even as he uncharacteristically cussed in a low voice. Why couldn't he have just _died? _What was wrong with giving Tetsuya his eternal slumber? Did he not deserve it? Had he done something wrong and now he had to wander as a fucking ghost that _no one _could _see?_

_Fucking great._

As if _living _being ignored by the world hadn't been enough. He sardonically wished he knew more divinities so he could curse them all. Not that it gave him any kind of satisfaction.

But now, Tetsuya had to calm down. There just _had _to be a way out. He just needed to find it. He didn't even care what the consequences were but Tetsuya was definitely getting his eternal oblivion. He wondered idly if he was the only ghost to ever try to kill itself on the first day.

He sure hoped he wasn't going to stay as a ghost forever.

Maybe he could use his living body…he turned around to find that his body wasn't there anymore. Tetsuya quietly panicked. He followed the bloody trail—which was the remaining evidence that he indeed had died— with his eyes, but it stopped abruptly. Close by, a faintly visible wheel-track continued. Before Tetsuya could curse his luck, everything went blurry and a fog appeared from everywhere at once. When he could focus again, Tetsuya glared at it and suddenly he jerked back surprised when a funerary van almost crashed on to him. He saw as a sort of macabre flashback played out…

He saw with morbid fascination how the police found his body —_now _they could see him? — and heaved his black-bagged body to the back of the van. Time then slowed and Tetsuya just had to walk to keep besides the moving van.

* * *

The vehicle eventually entered the city, where Tetsuya had a freak-out moment the instant a car zoomed right past him. After that, Tetsuya kept to the sidewalk as a good ghost kid; finally, the van entered the parking lot of a center. The boy correctly guessed it was the morgue even before reading the sign at the entrance.

Deciding against entering —he had had enough of staring at his dead body— the teen paced up and down the street just outside the building, once again fuming in anger. In one of his rounds he caught sight of a tuff of dark blue. Of the same hue that had been on top of the gazebo…

Tetsuya saw red. He quickly gave chase, his feet carrying him farther and faster than before. The tuff of blue soon became a blue haired individual with dark skin. The dark skinned teen turned around at the last moment, apparently sensing him for the first time and Tetsuya lunged forward. His clenched fist connected with the other's cheek —to Tetsuya's surprise—in a hit and run. Apparently all of his anger had been in that punch because soon afterwards Tetsuya just felt drained, yet for some reason tears pooled in his eyes despite not even caring that the other could not see-

"Oi, you bastard what the hell's your problem!?" A hand rudely yanked him back to face an irked teen, surprise evident on the teal-headed teen.

Tetsuya would have been ashamed that he was being seen crying if not for the fact that he indeed _could_ be seen. As in _seen._ Realizing this only made him sob harder.

"O-oi! Why are you- don't cry you…c'mon don't cry!" The tanned male immediately fretted, panic winning over anger. And even though he had been the one who got hit, the dark-blue haired teen started apologizing as he guided Tetsuya to a bench —while he kept demanding that he stop crying.

Some long minutes later found the taller teen standing awkwardly beside the now-sniffling Tetsuya. "I apologize." The ghost teen finally said, as he embarrassingly wiped the remaining tears.

"Tch. Why were you crying anyway? And so loud?" The now-tsundere asked with a scowl on him.

"First I would like to know, how is it that you can see me?" Tetsuya inquired, hopeful sky-blue eyes lighting up in anticipation. The other tilted his head slightly as he arched an eyebrow at him.

"Well then, I'm guessing you noticed you're dead." He said without an ounce of pity or sympathy, Tetsuya felt like kicking him in the shins, but he settled with a deadpanned glare. "Haha, no need to look at me like that. I'm also a ghost, Aomine Daiki's the name. Nice to meet you." This successfully caught Tetsuya's attention, as his neck snapped up to see his face properly —because he was sitting down, not because Aomine was taller… Really!

"I-I'm Kuroko Tetsuya, nice to meet you too, Aomine-kun." Never let it be said that Tetsuya wasn't polite. Aomine stared at him with a weird face, before shaking his head.

"Whatever, planning on telling me why you punched me?" The pale teen's cheeks flushed red as his eyes were hidden by his bangs.

"…gize."

"What? Talk louder, you midget." The tsundere said, but Tetsuya ignored the jab. For now.

"I apologize for hitting you." The taller ghost's eyebrow twitched in surprising irritation before Tetsuya was bonked over the head.

"Gah! You're too damn polite!" Tetsuya glowered at him, yet the effect was diminished by his pout and by how he raised both hands to rub at his head in surprise. "And? Apology accepted, but I still want to know why-" Aomine's face cleared of emotion at seeing the other's face saddening but his lips remained closed. The dark-blue haired male sighed tiredly as he rubbed his face. What a bother.

"Never mind, for now. Tell me about yourself. How long you've been dead?"

"…A few hours I guess?" Tetsuya said uncertainly; this seemed to take the Yankee-like teen aback.

"Whoa dude I'm sorry. How?" The pale male didn't answer, but before Aomine could pry or apologize (he might have been a bit tactless…) they both jerked at hearing a loud honk. They turn to see a black van —that Tetsuya recognized and Aomine noticed this— heading out of the morgue, towards the graveyard just beside the building.

Tetsuya hurriedly stood up to follow the van again —since when had they been so close to it— with Aomine following suit. Both teens soon entered the graveyard and sure enough, they can see Tetsuya's body being lowered to an already prepared casket.

Aomine let out a whistle of surprise. "They sure are burying you fast. Normally takes a couple days at least…" But then a thought seemed to occur to him and he scanned the area with confusion. "Wait, where are your-? Tetsuya, your fami-?"

"Business trip. I suppose. And since I can see my name carved there, I am guessing that they were already contacted." The teal haired ghost murmured sadly. The dark skinned teen looked at the other before he clapped him on the shoulder.

"Sorry to hear that." He offered, not minding that he didn't get a response. As Aomine had kept looking at the graveyard's gate, he suddenly brightened up when he saw people approaching Tetsuya's soon-to-be tomb. "Look, people are coming." He informed the other with relief in his voice. Tetsuya eyed the approaching pair with mistrust. Just who-?

Oh. It was the couple from back then.

Tetsuya stared blankly at them as they say their prayers for a complete stranger they had never seen. He hated them more for being such a nice couple.

"Thank you though." Tetsuya whispered, bowing at their retreating backs, mouth turned into a bitter line.

"…So they didn't know you…Oh, here comes more-?" Aomine said just before another person approached with a vase of red flowers, passing right through Aomine and heading off to another direction. Aomine was now really getting suspicious.

"Tetsuya-?"

"We should leave. I already saw what I needed to see." Tetsuya voiced softly, eyes soft but carefully void of emotion.

Aomine finally had the decency of keeping his mouth shut. For the moment. He followed the other as they exited the graveyard and dark-blue-haired teen couldn't help but notice the slight sag in the other's shoulders. Knowing that this must be pretty hard on the boy, Aomine kept quiet as he followed him, in case he needed to speak to someone.

* * *

Tetsuya's mind was far from this place, wondering just what the heck was going on with his life —afterlife?— wondering whether there was actually anyone who would notice he had died. The only comfort he could find was thinking that his parents wouldn't be sad for much time this way. They'd soon forget about him, just like everyone else in the world.

Sighing sadly, Tetsuya worried he might have annoyed the other and noticed to his surprise that Aomine was nowhere to be seen and that he was in a part of the city he wasn't very familiar with.

Feeling unusually tired —he didn't know which was worse, not sleeping for the eternity as a ghost or still having the annoying need to sleep even when dead — the boy just walked up into a hotel and snuck into an empty room. He didn't feel as guilty because it's not like he was using an occupied room or actually occupying the one he had snuck into.

Tetsuya, as always, welcomed the darkness of the unconsciousness.

(Tetsuya found it easy to sneak in since he just followed behind the cleaning lady. Exiting was a bit harder, but he managed.)

* * *

(&amp;)

"Are you going to keep on coming here? That's depressing."

"Are _you _going to keep on stalking me? That is creepy." Tetsuya deadpanned, almost parroting the other, as he looked away from his own gravestone to stare at the other. It was barely the day after and Tetsuya's feet had unsurprisingly brought him there. What he was really surprised at, was the presence of the dead teen that still could see him… Though that didn't make him any less irritating.

"Hey! I'm no stalker. I have nothing else to see."

"Be a good ghost and go haunt someone alive Ahomine."

"Nah, it's way more fun to bother you, Tetsu."

"I never gave you permission of using my-"

"Yes yes. You can call me Daiki."

"I think Ahomine suits you better."

"So mean!"

The bickering duo then stop when they catch sight of a van stopping just outside the graveyard and a procession of students pouring out of said van. The batch of alumni marched their way behind their teacher and to both ghost's surprise, they trekked up to Tetsuya's grave.

"…Sensei." Tetsuya murmured in surprise, briefly looking at the saddened face of his literature teacher —who though hadn't always noticed him, seemed to honestly have liked him— to his classmates. Tetsuya watched in curiosity how quite a few were carrying flowers and how his grave was suddenly filled with life when they were all placed down. Tetsuya's former classmates then proceeded to pray and with the efficiency of an army, they wove their way back to the van.

Aomine couldn't stop the thought of 'how the heck did they all fit in in that minuscule van' and was about to make a joke of it when he was distracted by a pair of students that were still lingering by the grave.

"Hey," The first one spoke up, looking uncomfortable, " I know he supposedly was our classmate, but, really, who was he?"

"I thought you knew! I first thought we were going to pay visit to some poor guy that got ran over or something. I sure don't remember him…"

Both students then noticed they were the only ones there and hurried back to their vehicle, leaving behind a very tense silence among the dead. Aomine wasn't sure on what exactly to ask —nothing of this was alright; there was something very wrong in the boys' comment.

"Thank you for visiting." Tetsuya mumbled as he bowed waist-deep in the general direction of the departing van before straightening up and staring at the flowers on his tomb.

"Wait, what exactly was that?" The dark-skinned male finally managed to ask.

"What exactly was what, Aomine-kun?" The teal-haired ghost queried, impassive gaze waiting for him.

"Don't fuck around with me, Tetsu! Weren't these your classmates? How come they didn't know you?"

"What could have possibly given you that idea?" Tetsuya asked politely, already starting to walk away. Yet, he's stopped as once again Aomine's hand clutched his shoulder.

"Sorry, but I'm calling bullshit on that." The dark skinned teen glared at the other's back of the head. The other teen sighed tiredly.

"You got me. I didn't attend school." Tetsuya finally said in his ever-quiet voice. The hand clutching him let go and he turned around to face Aomine again.

"Heh, you don't look like the kinda guy that would skip class. Why did you, anyway?" The blue haired teen grinned, happy to have someone so similar to himself. Maybe they could bash schools together!

"…I was abducted…by aliens." Aomine backtracked.

"You _what? _Are you insane or something?"

"Who knows."

"You little…! Fine, I got it, you don't want to tell me. No need to tell such outrageous lies." Aomine finally relented raising his hands in surrender as he started to walk. He expected to hear Tetsuya's footsteps behind him, but at hearing nothing he paused. "Tetsu? You coming?"

"Right behind you." The polite boy mumbled, eyes shadowed.

* * *

Since Tetsuya had just followed behind the other ghost mindlessly, he was surprised to find himself just outside Maji Burgers.

"Ok, we have to wait for the door to open so we can sneak in without causing alarm."

"Can't we just go through the walls or something more ghost-like?"

"Well, _I _could. But it takes practice you know. And right now I don't feel like teaching you." The taller dead teen bluntly said before returning to watch the door.

Annoyed, Tetsuya sneaked away from the other silently and tried to go through the building.

Nothing happened.

Well, not _nothing. _Tetsuya hit his head hard —that had been the first part of his body to make contact. Just nothing of what he wanted to do.

The pale boy stared at the wall as if it had been the one at fault before the teen relaxed and pressed himself flat against it.

"Mr. Wall, do let me through." He muttered under his breath and to his surprise, he could feel a tickling sensation all over his body and suddenly he was falling inside the restaurant.

Tetsuya regained his footing with difficulty and set off to find Aomine. He wandered back to the entrance doors and saw the strange ghost with an irritated scowl directed at the glass doors as he tapped his foot impatiently.

The shorter male approached him from behind, peered over Aomine's shoulder and said in a low voice, "Aomine-kun, what's the matter?"

The jolt in place, as well as the small shout of surprise were priceless. A tiny corner of Tetsuya's lips tilted upwards. He went momentarily cross-eyed as a finger was pointed at him, far too close to his face.

"Y-you bastard! Don't scare me like that! Where do you come from? How did you come in?"

"Aomine-kun," Tetsuya started, a hint of disapproval and concern tinting his face making the other draw back slightly. "I am a ghost. I just came in through the wall." He then shook his head as if trying to say he thought that was a silly question to add to the effect.

Aomine blinked perplex, before he opened his mouth to yell an irked retort, but seemed to think better of it and instead broke down laughing.

"Alright you smartass, you proved your point. Now let's get some food." He finally managed to say, wiping a tear from his eyes and fondly messing with the other's hair.

In the end, Aomine and Kuroko both 'borrowed' a couple hamburgers and a vanilla shake respectively, much to the latter's dismay. He thought they'd take the food and leave money on the counter but realized too late that he had brought nothing and Aomine hadn't even planned on paying.

"Tetsu, you're dead, why are you such a stuck up? Loosen up, have some fun, geez."

"I don't think it's necessary to steal to have fun. " The teal haired teen replied, still contemplating the shake in his hands. Aomine sighed.

"Okay, I'm letting that go 'cause you're a newbie. Ghosts don't need to eat, but we can still taste and eating is great in general. But whatever we take is not…uh, how to put this? It's like another ghost ability, you can basically make a ghost copy of an object. It's like if I went and grabbed that person's hat." Here he pointed to a living passer-by with a ridiculous helmet. "I can go make a copy and wear it. The copied hat would be invisible like me and the owner would still have his own hat. Useful, huh?"

"I see! It's a way for Aomine-kun to satisfy weird fetishes." Tetsuya spoke in a I-see-clearly-now tone, bumping his fist to his open palm. He was flicked on the forehead for his efforts.

"As if!" The grouchy ghost glared at him before smugly adding, "I'm sorry I don't share your hobbies."

His response was a quick jab to his gut that left the dark skinned teen clutching his stomach in pain for quite some time. Ignoring the glare thrown at him, Tetsuya calmly sipped at his vanilla shake still mulling over this new ability.

"And we can copy anything?"

"Nah, it's limited to non-living things and small stuff. For example I find hard copying clothes so I generally bully Kise into doing it for me. He's the best for copying stuff hands down…Though that also pisses me off the most."

"Excuse me, who is this Kise-san?"

"Oh, uh, another ghost. Maybe we can go meet him later, what do you think?" Tetsuya was momentarily speechless. Was he going to meet another person? Tetsuya felt like panicking, would this Kise notice him as well? Tetsuya hadn't had the slightest clue as to what he was going to do or say. "…Tetsu?"

"It is nothing. I would be glad to meet him." The boy honestly replied, feeling his palms sweating in nervousness.

Aomine arched an eyebrow at the nervous shorty before quirking a smile and ruffling his hair.

"Come with me for today and we'll go meet him tomorrow." Aomine said, slinging an arm around the pale teen's shoulders. He dragged him to his own hideout, talking about all kind of nonsense until he finally felt the other calm down.

Boy, wasn't this kid a bother. Aomine thought with surprising affection just before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**AN**

Too long? Too short? Too uneventful? You liked/disliked this ghost ability? Let me know what you thought! And what you'd like to see as well.


	3. Chapter 2

"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Aomine-kun, it is not a funny matter."

"HAHAHAHAHA-HAoof-!"

Finally ticked off, the shorter teen had jabbed the other one again on the side, to finally make the other stop _laughing._

"Damn it, Tetsu, that hurt! It's not my fault you're so abnormal."

"I am most certainly not-"

"I meant you hair." The dark-skinned male cleared, noticing his now companion's sudden tension —though as soon as Tetsuya relaxed, Aomine dismissed the event— just to be met with a pout as Tetsuya tried combing his bed hair. "How does it even get that way?"

"I would not know." Was all Tetsuya deigned to answer, making Aomine snort before lifting teal eyes to meet his in something akin to wonder. "Aomine-kun…"

"What?"

"…This really happened did it not?" Tetsuya stated more than asked, clarifying shortly after, "I am dead. I am a ghost. And I met you."

"Uh, yeah pretty much…" 'Your point being?' was sagely not spoken, but was nonetheless answered —more or less.

"I am almost expecting to wake up. I fear so. But I know it is not a dream… Though I cannot be sure this is really happening either."

"Yeah, I get you. The feeling passes sooner or later though." Aomine answered off-handedly, ruffling untamed hair and Kuroko felt more than heard the tired edge that was inscribed in those words.

He had gotten used to it because there was nothing else to do other than accept it.

.

"Would it be rude to inquire the date of you passing?" Tetsuya decided to keep Aomine's mind focused on his questions instead of letting him brood on his own.

The taller teen stared at him, before rubbing the back of his neck in thought, "Hmm. Well let's see… I'd say about a- wait, it's… about two years." But before Tetsuya could quip with —would offering his condolences be correct, given that he was offering them to the dead himself?—the other continued, "But that's a story for another day, because I'm giving you a express tour of the ghostly side of this town. And also introduce you to Kise."

Tetsuya didn't comment on Aomine's vacant eyes a moment before and instead followed the teen around. It's not like he had been expecting that he would have had a perfect life given that he too, was a ghost.

* * *

"So, since smarty-pants-san can already pass through a wall, do you feel ready to cross the street?" Aomine inquired, thumb stuck out, pointing at the ongoing traffic. Both otherworldly beings had returned to the ever-busy streets of their city to begin the 'tour'. The newbie's stomach twisted unto itself. Seeing the other's trepidation, the dark-skinned male shrugged uncaringly before walking instead to the crossroad a couple meters away.

"Thank you."

"That doesn't mean I'm not gonna toss you into oncoming traffic one of these days. It's a ritual of passing of sorts. And it's fun." Aomine tossed back with a wolfish grin, enjoying the other's startled expression, minimal as it was.

The pair made their way across many streets, Aomine pointing out the best places to nap on, to eat, to get entertainment (for which he was promptly nagged; in Aomine's defense, he stated that porn was completely normal for a healthy teen like him,) and such. Aomine walked passing through the living as if they weren't there, hoping to see the newbie struggling to keep pace and not bump into everyone, but to his disgruntlement, the pale teen easily wove his way around people, keeping pace with him without effort. When Tetsuya inquired about the presence of other ghosts and how many they were, he was met with an almost bitter smile.

"Tetsu, why do you think there's an afterlife?"

"I would not know." Tetsuya replied with a small frown, but the other's eye-rolling made him try, "…But I had heard that ghosts are people that could not pass on due to an attachment or-"

"Or a regret." The navy-eyed teen completed with a sigh before adding, "there's not many people that die with a strong enough reason to remain, so we're not many. Some have no clue as to what they regret or are attached to, so they're more or less stranded here. When you woke up, was there something you regretted?"

"…That I wasn't dead." The words sprouted out of his lips before the ghost could sensor them. Tetsuya immediately averted his gaze.

"'You a suicide-case?" The ghosts both paused and stared at each other in surprise. Tetsuya shook his head softly, and at Aomine's suspicious stare, he added his voice to the negative. "So... how the fuck could you regret not dying if not?"

Tetsuya honestly pondered on this, not having thought of it and gave his answer with his usual poker face, "I guess, I was simply tired."

"Man, I don't think I get you." Aomine exhaled, a pensive frown on his face, before crowding closer to Tetsuya and slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Well, not like it matters for now. Hurry up, after midday Kise usually disappears and even I don't know where he goes."

And that was that, for now.

.

* * *

"Hello there, my name is Aomine Daiki, nice to meet you!" The blond teen-ghost they had gone to meet happily said, shoving his face to Kuroko's personal bubble just to be punched by the other Aomine.

"Kise, you copycat! Don't go stealing my name!"

"How mean, Aominecchi! Ne, isn't he a big fat bully?" He mock whispered to Tetsuya. The ghost stared at the cheerful other for a fraction of second, utterly surprised before he managed a coherent answer.

"…Yes, you are right."

"OI!" The dark-skinned teen barked out in annoyance, getting closer in case either of them needed to be hit (again).

"Ahaha, I like you. My name is Kise Ryota, the best dead model you'll ever see!" The blond openly grinned, slinging his arms behind his head, with an air of utter carefree-ness.

"Nice to meet you, Kise-kun. I'm Kuroko Tetsuya." True to his nature, the palest teen bowed politely as he greeted the other.

"Aha, you sure are polite aren't you?" Kise said with a laugh, as he curiously examined everything about this new ghost, looking a bit like a curious kitten. Yet he talked like a parrot drowned in an energetic drink. "Your looks are plain but really nice. Beautiful eyes too! Man, how do you have such smooth skin? I was always nagged to take care of my skin; especially that on my face but still yours far surpasses mine. Ever considered being a model? You wouldn't be _the _greatest, not right away I mean, but with a proper manager and proper clothes, yup, would've done great. Oh, we could have been partners-!"

Overwhelmed teal eyes looked up when the blond parrot winced —effectively cutting the nonstop stream of words— to see an irked Aomine giving Kise yet another soft slap on the head.

"Okay, shut your mouth, my ears are ringing. What are you, a girl?"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Kise turned to him with a pout making the other snort.

"My mistake, girls don't talk that much."

"Aominecchi!"

* * *

"So what brings you 'ver here?" Kise finally asked, once all three of them had settled down inside a school's premises —and the model had finally stopped whining.

"He just died, so I'm giving him a quick tour and also to meet you. Tetsu, if you ever need something material he's the one. I'd say it's for free, but the cost for each thing is a nonsensical babble of talk." Aomine stated Tetsuya's decease as if he had just moved to town —which, in a sense, might just be more true than one might think— and Kise just pouted at the insult before turning to Tetsuya. To find no one there. He yelped in surprise, making Aomine look and scowl when Tetsuya wasn't there.

"…Excuse me…" Two heads made twin turns around to find the disappeared ghost hovering just behind them, an empty can in his hand. "I am over here," he stated obviously, before looking down at his hand, "I apologize, I just could not leave this on the floor. If you excuse me…" That said, the ghost walked over to the next trashcan, before returning to find Kise still staring at him.

"Kise-kun, is there a problem?"

"Kurokocchi, what was that, that was awesome!" Kise droned on about that vanishing act, making Tetsuya tense up —though neither of the others commented on it — before ending obviously confused.

Meanwhile, Aomine leaned back, a small smirk on his face. It hadn't taken even two hours for Tetsu to be respected by ever-vain Kise Ryouta. Or at the very least to be a candidate for respect. That, by itself, was pretty darn respectable. And… well, he wasn't one to mother-hen over others, but he _was _relieved. A little bit.

Once a rapidly blinking —out of sheer confusion— Tetsuya disappeared from the vicinities to change into the clothes Kise had forced on him (which were a replica of Kise's, really) the blond turned a smile at the other.

"He's a nice kid."

Aomine grunted noncommittally, "Why're you saying that to me for?" hitting the other for his knowing smirk. But then Kise sobered up a bit, distant eyes staring at nothing.

"Wonder why, though. He seems _too _nice of a kid to be a ghost." He mused, thinking out loud. "Has he told you anything? Like, what school was he in?"

"I have no-"

"I was going to enter Seirin." Tetsuya spoke up from in between them, ignoring Aomine's scream and Kise's hasty retreat.

"Oh my god, Kurokocchi! Say something when you appear, you'll give me a heart-attack like that!" Kise managed to complain in a startled tone as Aomine stopped cursing to hit Tetsuya over the head very softly.

"But I did so…" Shadowboy replied, his wide teal eyes innocent and just the smallest bit resigned.

"'Going to enter'? How old are you again, Tetsu?" Aomine finally calmed down to ask, not even paying attention to the model he had just hit as the other proceeded to coo at the 'innocence' of the other.

"Sixteen."

"Huh? Were you going to transfer schools or something?" Kise asked, rubbing his arm absently (both motions giving proof of how used to each other these two were —or at least to their antics—) while looking at Tetsuya.

"No, I…" And Tetsuya felt weird because there was _someone _right here and now who was not only talking to him but also asking Tetsuya to tell him about himself. The teal-haired ghost very much felt the need to answer but then his previous reluctance returned. It had been enough of a miracle that he could be _seen _he didn't want to screw things up if something he said made them turn away from him.

"You…?" Kise continued obliviously, making Tetsuya start out of his thoughts; neither of them noticing dark eyes scanning them both.

Shadowboy's cheeks visibly reddened for a second but in the blink of an eye it was gone. A sudden glint in his eyes, Tetsuya forced the words to come out, "I fell ill and missed the entrance exams for high school, so I was just going to enter."

There, he had said it. Now would these two leave him for being such a terrible excuse of a person? Tetsuya felt a pang at even thinking about it.

"I see. Well that's too bad. High school was a pretty good time." Kise was the first to answer, a cheerful sort of apology on his face.

"Kise's right. I mean, middle school girls were good, but high schoolers are _hot._" Aomine quipped in, smug smirk in place.

"Oh. I didn't know Aomine was such a pervert." Was what came out of his lips without any conscious thought. Kuroko just knew someday he'd get in trouble for this mouth of his. Though for now he was merely greeted by a spurt of laughter by Kise's part and a friendly scowl by Aomine's.

"Damn right he is and- oh Kurokocchi you're done changing! It… Kurokocchi I'm sorry. I DIDN'T think it would look that big on you…" Kise's enthusiasm was cut a bit by this, as he tried not to laugh at this teen. Ah, but even like that, "It suits you either way! Come here! Let's pose!"

And so, his dilemma momentarily over, Tetsuya was subjected to the whims of one very hyper-active model — who even took the trouble of making his clothes look less baggy, with some sort of fashion secret. Tetsuya was embarrassingly awkward and clumsy and sometimes had to have things repeated to him because he wouldn't notice they were speaking to _him-_ But regardless, he was having fun for maybe the first time of his life.

Kise then dragged both of them to the mall, where Tetsuya had to try on more clothes and pose like this, like that and too late he realized Aomine had been taking pictures all along.

(He barely had time to get embarrassed as he thought about whether ghost would actually appear on a photography when he was accosted by more clothes.)

* * *

In the end, the three of them exited the mall with new outfits for everyone, with Kise happily skipping while Aomine carried a dead-beat Tetsuya over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Or of marshmallows, judging by how much —or little in this case— Tetsuya weighted.

"Oi Tetsu, you have awful stamina, you know that?"

But Tetsuya was saved from having to answer when the ringing of bells announced a Mass. Kise stopped mid-jump, his face sobering unexpectedly and glanced up at the sky before plastering a fake smile and turning to him.

"Sorry guys, I need to leave now. It's midday." He said as all explanation before he walked away with quick, cat-like strides.

"And there he goes again." Aomine muttered dryly, before carrying Tetsuya back to his hideout. Tetsuya stared at the upside-down figure of the blond as he disappeared from his sight, wondering just what had that been.

* * *

"So, had fun?" Aomine inquired to the figure still on his shoulder as he walked down the street.

"Yes."

"He's nice. Though he's a scatterbrain. We'll have to go hunt him down another day so he can teach you the copying technique at the very least." He mumbled, thinking out loud, glancing at the other when he felt small fists clenching at his shirt.

Aomine would have no clue, but his words had suddenly made Tetsuya want to cry. Never would he have imagined he'd hear a "we" directed at him. Nor having as much fun as he had had today.

If this was a dream, Tetsuya hoped for the first time, he'd never wake up.

* * *

"Aomine-kun?" Tetsuya called out just as he was preparing to sleep.

"What." The dark-skinned ghost, clad only in his boxers and dark undershirt glanced back at him.

"Good night," the ghost said with a candid smile before exiting the makeshift room. Aomine scratched his head as he stared at him.

Weird guy.

* * *

**AN**

Sorry if it was short, it just felt forced if I tried to continue this. So what did you think about Kise and his abilities? And why does he always disappear at midday? Also I despair at all that possible angst I can't describe, 'cuz if I did, this story would move nowhere T-T. Damn.

We'll see Kise again soon (story-wise), as well as Midorima and Takao in next chapter.

(By the way, guess who won NaNoWriMo 2014? :D )

Edit. Looks like this chapter came out the same day of KnB S3E1! Haizaki's finally onscreen!

Feedback is appreciated.


	4. Chapter 3

"So you're here again, troublesome kid." Aomine drawled on with a sigh of relief at finally finding the ghost he had been looking for. Tetsuya blinked away from his grave to nod politely at him.

"Good morning, Aomine-kun." He replied not at all caring of the glare he received for his words. He turned briefly to his carved name, tilting his head in thought before turning fully to the other, "Let us go somewhere else. I am done here."

'Are you?' Was what Aomine dryly thought but started walking away from the graveyard with Tetsuya beside him. "Anyway, are you waiting for someone or something like that?" He decided to pry a bit, noticing the pale teen pausing in his steps, but his face still showed nothing.

"Not really."

Aomine shrugged to himself before hauling the shorty to Maji's again. He guessed it was alright, not calling out Tetsuya's lie. Not like it really mattered.

* * *

"Why not teach me this technique yourself, Aomine-kun?" Tetsuya inquired looking up from his ghost shake to meet Aomine's eyes.

"It's a pain and Kise's better at it." Aomine said in between munches to his burger. Tetsuya nodded quickly enough and the taller ghost continued, "Anyway, we should better hurry or the idiot will be gone."

"That is rude, Aomine-kun." Tetsuya chided the other before hurrying to keep pace with him, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Excuse me, does Kise-san leave every day?" Tetsuya asked, hoping Aomine wouldn't be offended by his meddling.

"I'm not sure. I don't exactly go to him every day. But every time I do, he leaves by midday no matter what, so I guess he does. I have no idea what he does then." Aomine answered with another shrug, "anyway, that's part of why Kise is Kise."

Confused by those words, Tetsuya was about to ask for clarification, when he felt someone looking at them. There, right ahead. A stocky and slightly short black haired student seemed to be frowning in confusion at them, but as Tetsuya kept walking it was clearly not the case. Unnerved when he accidentally ended up passing _through _someone in his distraction, Tetsuya willed his mind away from him and focused on the dark-skinned ghost that had gone on ahead.

"Aomine-kun, you haven't tried asking Kise-san?"

"Where he goes? What for?"

"Are you two not friends?" Aomine stopped in his tracks, allowing two or three living people pass through him while the ghost stared at the other in shock.

"Friends?" He repeated as if that was an unknown notion to him. Which was odd. Tetsuya was pretty certain he was the only one who had had no friends over the course of his life. "I… no, I don't think I'd go that far. We just know each other. Barely so." The taller ghost finally concluded, nodding to himself and Tetsuya inwardly sighed in disappointment. If these two, who were so used to each other, who could banter easily and everything couldn't be called friends… Then what hope did Tetsuya have?

Ah, he was getting over himself again.

"And besides, he died a year ago —I think— and I met him by chance two or three separate occasions before we really started talking." Aomine continued, successfully snapping Shadowboy out of it by raising more questions.

"Is it normal to be a ghost that long?" The question came out of Tetsuya's mouth without chance to stop the words. He really should learn to keep his mouth shut.

"Uh, I really don't think being a ghost is a normal thing by itself." Aomine answered awkwardly and Tetsuya suddenly remembered the other was at least two years into this ghost business.

"I am sorry, I spoke without thinking."

"Uh, no, it's alright. Besides I have no idea. Midorima is also about two years… But I think I've seen others with more time." Aomine mussed, before catching on the first thing to change topics, "Oh, Midorima is another idiot you have to meet. I think he's sorta my rival. Just don't tell him I said so."

"You have my word." Tetsuya promised solemnly and Aomine huffed in amusement before ruffling his hair. They kept walking in silence and the pale boy once again asked without thinking, "Aomine-kun, and what do you do when you are not meeting Kise-kun or Midorima-san?"

This time, Aomine did stop walking, expression closed off for one painful moment before he directed a wry smile at him. "S'rry Tetsu." He said as all answer and went on ahead.

Idiot, the pale boy cursed himself. Speaking without thinking was really a bother. If Kise disappeared it was for reasons he did not want to share, Tetsuya realized belatedly. That's why Aomine did not ask (besides not feeling close enough to do so). Because Aomine also had reasons he did not want to share to anyone.

That his own life as a ghost turned out to be better than his actual life did not mean it had been the same for the rest.

But even so, as Tetsuya stared at the wide back of the other ghost he couldn't help but wonder…

What weighted his shoulders so much?

What did he regret?

.

* * *

"Ah! Kurokocchi! Aominecchi!" Kise Ryota waved enthusiastically upon seeing them, his big wide smile enough to cheer the other two up without even trying.

"Yo! Kise!" Aomine sent back, not waiting for Tetsuya as he walked up to the blond.

"What brings you guys here? Missed me that much?"

"Yeah right. Came back because you forgot to teach Tetsu that copying thing."

"I-if it's not too much of a problem." Tetsuya hastily said, bowing. When he rose, he kept his poker face intact, uncomfortable by the stare of the blond.

"Ah, Kurokocchi,… you really need to stop being so formal." Kise stated before chuckling to himself, only to be stopped by a whack to the head. "Aominecchi!"

"Focus blondie."

"Ah right! Well I'm honored you came to me, actually. It's okay." Kise turned to the shortest teen, nodding happily.

"Thank you." Tetsuya managed to say, feeling a bit lost again. Aomine yawned loudly before telling them both he'd be sleeping over there, leaving them alone.

.

And so it was that the blue-haired, blue-eyed ghost returned to the sight of mountains of clothes and other objects in various levels of disintegration as the newbie lay half-asleep on top of said mountain, with Kise happily rambling about this or the other. Noticing his presence, both ghosts greeted him.

"So?" He prodded the pale ghost with a knowing smirk, noticing the tiredness of the other.

"I learned it." Was Tetsuya's proud reply, his tired smile making the other two pause and look at each other briefly. When Kise next talked, there was a fond smile playing at his lips.

"But you're going to have to keep practicing a lot Kurokocchi!"

"And for that you need stamina I say! It's like you never exercised in your life!"

Tetsuya pouted to the sky, "I was in the literature club in middle school."

"That was not what I was talking about-!"

"Ne, Kurokocchi, what middle school did you say you attended?" The model cut in, his curious nature showing again. Tetsuya once again felt awkward at being asked things about himself.

"Teiko."

"Well fuck me," Aomine whispered out as Kise gave a small shout of joy. Tetsuya lifted his head to stare at the two very different reactions with his poker face. Not sure who to look at, he let his head flop back to continue staring at the sky.

"I can't believe it, Kurokocchi! We went to the same school!"

"Tetsu attended Teiko as well… Boy isn't this a small world." Aomine's weird tone finally made Kise turn to him —as Tetsuya adamantly remained quiet.

"Aominecchi? Is something wrong?"

"Nah. I was just surprised. I mean, Tetsu's sixteen right now. So when we both were in… second? Wait were we already in our third year? " He tried to think but at Kise's confusion he sighed "...Eh, whatever. I meant to say we must have overlapped at some point."

"Whoa, is this fate?" Kise exclaimed, eyes sparkly, dramatic as always but then it hit him, "Wait, but then... There weren't that many students at Teiko and we had to give class to our underclassmen a couple times for a project… I don't remember there being any Kuroko Tetsuya…"

"Nobody does." Was Tetsuya sleepy and plain and resigned reply. "Or nobody did at least. And I don't remember either of you so I guess we simply missed each other. Oh, but I skipped school a lot too."

"Huh, so that part was true." Aomine mussed to himself. He noticed Kise cocking his head and before Aomine's fist reached his stomach, the question poured out,

"What do you mean nobody remembers you?"

But at that moment all the clothes Tetsuya had been lying on vanished at the same time and with a 'thump' Shadowboy met the ground.

The other two burst out laughing.

* * *

Before the teens could fully recover, a bell rang from a school nearby and Kise immediately said goodbye, it was midday after all. But as Tetsuya stared at the departing other he wondered if it was his imagination or did Kise look the smallest bit less tense?

Noticing then that he was butting his nose where he wasn't called again, Tetsuya picked himself up from the floor and dusted himself off before facing Aomine.

"Well, Aomine-kun. I'll be going then. I will be back at your place for the night." Tetsuya bowed, intent on leaving but was immediately stopped by the confused other.

"Whoa, wait, what? Why?" The blue-eyed ghost asked, a sliver of panic slipping in his voice without any of the teens notice.

"I am very grateful that you have been showing me around. And I would appreciate you continue to do so. But I'm sure there are things you want to do and I do not wish to impose." Tetsuya exposed as if from a lecture, the fact that his heart was in his throat not showing in his face. He needed to respect the other's bounds after all.

"No. No, it's alright. I don't… Tetsu is this because of that thing earlier?" Aomine regained himself to ask, perturbingly accurate. Tetsuya only blinked but something else must have given him away because Aomine deflated like a balloon, tension slipping away. "I'm sorry, Tetsu. I didn't mean to make you feel like that."

Tetsuya frowned. That was not what this was supposed to be like.

"Aomine-kun, you do not need to apologize. I-"

"You," Yankee-kun cut him softly, tiredly. "You'd do me a favor, actually. If you would stick to me. I'm not saying you have to!" He immediately exclaimed, blushing faintly, "Just saying that if you don't have anything else to do-"

"Alright."

"Eh-what?"

"If I'm not- If I am not a bother, I would be glad to keep you company, Aomine-kun."

The teen smiled. And promptly dragged him into a semi-headlock.

"Ah, right. Follow me." Aomine spoke out of a sudden as he let Tetsuya go and started walking with brisk steps. Shadowboy hurried to follow.

"Where to?"

"Ah, just to the park." He answered with a smug smile on his face. "I want to read some manga."

* * *

"…Aomine." Tetsuya stayed on the side as he warily eyed the approaching figure, ready to bolt into action should the other need it. (Though given the hidden amused smirk on the other, Tetsuya somehow doubted it.) The dark-skinned male continued reading his comic, unmindful of the fuming other. "AOMINE!"

Tetsuya hid a wince at the loudness, but Aomine merely looked up and finally greeted a furious glasses-wearing ghost.

"Oh, if it isn't Shintaro! What a surprise!" He exclaimed in mock-enthusiasm, smirking all the way. The newcomer seemed to contain his rage as he nonchalantly pushed up his glasses with a bandaged hand. "So, what brings you here?"

Tetsuya thought he faintly heard something snap.

"You are in my territory."

"You're not a dog, don't go sounding like one." Aomine drawled completely unfazed, now shaking the comic in one hand. Shintaro growled out something unintelligible before crossing his arms and spitefully spouting,

"You are in my property."

"'Am not."

The green-haired individual then sighed exasperatedly before magically —how else if not— producing a certificate and smiling strained.

"You see here, I bought this place. If it's not clear enough for your childish mind, then that means that I have every right to kick you out."

This actually seemed to give Aomine pause. He peered closely at the paper, surprise clear in his eyes before he composed himself with a snort.

"And here I thought doctors should be all honest and shit." He added, before eyeing the other with amusement, "So, you're still sore about last time?"

Shintaro huffed, indignant and absolutely _not _sore.

"Want a rematch?"

Tetsuya had to blink at the apparent non-sequitur, but those words apparently made sense to the other as he pushed his glasses up one last time in silence before producing a ball out of _nowhere. _ With some pain, the pale ghost recognized the ball as a basketball. And soon enough they were battling to the death.

* * *

"You-!" Tetsuya lifted his head to see someone —very much alive— rapidly approaching the park, a glower set in a face that seemed unused to such expressions. The black-haired boy marched his way up to the ghosts and to Tetsuya's eternal surprise, he pointed his finger at the uncomfortable-looking Shintaro and finished menacingly, "You ungrateful bastard how dare you take over my body without my consent!? What did you do, Shin-chan? Was it illegal? Was it a girl? Am I going to be framed and sent to jail?" As the words poured out of his mouth, the threat seemed to diminish as the easy-going smile that went more according to his face replaced the frown and Tetsuya suddenly realized that it had been mostly an act.

Meanwhile, Aomine was trying not to choke on his laughter, the raven quirked a smile at him as if thanking his public before patting a smitten ghost on the head. Action that didn't go unnoticed to Tetsuya.

"A-are you telling me that-pfft, you possessed Takao simply to get hold of that paper-?" Aomine managed between chuckles, making the green-haired ghost blush faintly. "Oh, you're unbelievable."

"But isn't that, like, totally Shin-chan-like?" The black-haired individual said with a cheeky grin and Aomine nodded firmly, ignoring the silently mortified other. Meanwhile, Tetsuya had finally snapped out of his surprised and he approached the living being in a daze.

"You can really see us?" Sprouted from his lips before he could contain the very obvious question. Or maybe not so obvious as the teen proceeded to yelp as he spun around to face him, eyes wide as saucers.

"Whoa-what-!" He managed to get out, as he stumbled back, only to narrow in confusion. "Hey hold on a sec, how long have you been standing there?"

"I've been here all along…" Tetsuya mumbled, still bewildered by the other's action. But then… "You can see _me."_

"Tetsu, yer a ghost, don't forget to say 'boo' afterwards," Aomine quipped in, and Tetsuya's shining eyes turned to him.

"Aomine-kun," he informed the other in total seriousness, "he's alive and he can see me."

"Oh, well, there are these special cases where someone has stupidly—" hey!" — powerful vision and … well, you can see it for yourself. It's not exactly common, but it happens. Most seers just pretend they don't see us anyway." Here he shrugged uncaringly, but the sharp-eyed Takao noticed how a frown of worry seemed to crease his brow as the teal-haired ghost seemed overwhelmed for some reason. He had to suppress a sigh when his ever-friendly Shin-chan broke the awkward silence before it even begun without his own notice.

"Whatever. Takao, stop bothering. Aomine, please don't get distracted and let us finish the game." Here he pushed up his glasses while gazing at the court. "And tell the other ghost not to interrupt any longer."

He looked back with narrowed eyes when he felt a chill crawl up his spine, but the teal-haired male seemed as poker-faced as always.

* * *

The game began, with a haughty Shintaro stealing the ball and starting to shoot. Kuroko spent the whole shoot admiring the sheer accuracy of that three-pointer as the ball cleanly entered the net. Aomine was pissed since he hated those moves of his. Once Shintaro was in position, there was no way back. He clicked his tongue when it happened again, but then blinked in surprise at the greenhead's utter astonishment. Just then, he lowered his gaze when he felt a tap and reeled back at seeing a very familiar ball in his possession.

Just what…?

Never one to overthink stuff —especially not mid-game — Aomine smirked, passed by the still surprised Shintaro and delightfully dunked.

.

And it continued happening. The glasses ghost got in quite a few shots —mostly three pointers— but when he was not fast enough, the ball would just disappear from his hands and end up in his opponents hands. That, coupled with Shintarou's missed shots, had Aomine in a clear advantage. To say the green-haired individual was pissed would be putting it mildly. It clearly didn't help that his living friend was laughing his ass off at their various expressions (apparently he had been the first to spot the phantom helper).

On the other hand, Aomine grinned wolfishly at the other having already caught a glimpse of teal just before the ball clumsily flew over to him again and connected the dots. The player dashed forward and dunked time and time again a wild smile on his face.

One that spoke of love for the game.

* * *

Tetsuya finally collapsed at the edge of the makeshift court, gasping for breath as he focused on seeing how Aomine was faring without him. A smile had started to tug at the corner of his lips at seeing the other's expression but was jerked into attention by a hand on his shoulder. Who-?

"That was amazing!" Takao exclaimed with awe in his grey-eyes, "I kept losing you but then you were there and stole the ball like a pro! And those passes were no joke either!"

Tetsuya stared at him in mute amazement. Putting it to him being still breathless Takao did not seem to be expecting an answer to that, instead looking away at the game already at its ending point.

"That thing you did with Aomine is formidable. I have never seen anything like that," he mused just before an impish smile curved his lips, "And Shin-chan is troubled. Ain't that a sight."

Tetsuya's focus passed from Aomine to 'Shin-chan' and couldn't help but let out a startled laughter seeing the scrunched face of his.

"See?" Takao looked smug at his laugh, but then his attention focused on the pale ghost at his side, "Hey, I don't think I caught your name? My name is Takao Kazunari. The guy over there that ate a lemon is Midorima Shintaro."

Oh. So this was the Midorima Aomine had mentioned earlier.

"A pleasure to meet you, Takao-kun. I am Kuroko Tetsuya."

"Are you travelling or how did you chance upon Aomine?" The seer asked, hiding a frown at noticing again a sort of pain cross the other's features.

"No, I… I was from here. I died just recently and Aomine was very kind to help me." Tetsuya trailed off at the other's shocked expression.

"I'm so sorry Kuroko-san." Takao regained himself to say, before he looked again to the bickering duo farther away before sighing, "Another ghost, huh." But before Tetsuya could ask anything, his forlorn face shifted into a mocking grin as Midorima Shintaro and Aomine glided up to them. "You lost again, Shin-chan?"

"Shut up." He huffed before catching sight of Tetsuya and scowling at him, "It was none of your business, ghost!"

"Whatever do you mean?" Tetsuya asked, trying to mess with the other. Looks like he didn't take kindly to being treated like that.

"You interfered in my match!"

"I was here all along." Tetsuya denied, before turning to the black-haired seer, "Is it not true, Takao-san?"

"That's right!" Takao chirped, happy to be a pain to his friend. Midorima visibly hesitated, looking at both of them suspiciously before scratching his neck and turning away.

"Well, whatever. I'm leaving."

"Ah, wait, Shin-chan!" Takao hastily exclaimed, his hand outstretched but the ghost vanished out of thin air. The action seemingly startling the Living for some reason. But his face, which had started to darken, snapped to smile loosely at Tetsuya.

"Sometimes I forget he can do that." He explained, before he squatted on the floor and started stretching. "Shin-chan's my friend and was my teammate. Since we were little he has always been a bit awkward so… I have to keep an eye out on him even now."

"I see." Kuroko simply said, realizing the reason for Takao's sadness.

He can still talk with his Midorima-san. That's why he sometimes forgets he's a ghost.

But then he remembers. Remembers that his friend holds a regret so deep, he has to stay here no matter what.

So that was why,

"If you would like, I would not mind 'keeping an eye out' for Midorima-san's sake." Tetsuya mumbled serenely, fully intent on keeping his promise, even though it would certainly be hard.

"Seriously? You'd do that? You're awesome, thanks!" Takao immediately beamed at him, happy puppy dog eyes making the ghost smile the smallest bit. "Drop the honorifics then! I think you're too polite to call me Kazunari, so Takao's fine!"

And the black-haired seer proceeded to shower Tetsuya with small anecdotes of him and 'Shin-chan' being as talkative as Kise but a bit less overbearing. Tetsuya let him talk, happy that there was again someone that was talking to him, that someone wanted _him _to know about his (their) past.

.

* * *

Aomine approached Tetsuya as Takao waved a cheerful goodbye and strutted away. He let a heavy hand land on his head.

"You do realize," Aomine started, watching Takao disappearing in the distance. The shorter teen tilted his head so he could look back at him, "that Shintaro doesn't even speak to you, right?"

Ah, this might be a little harder than initially supposed.

* * *

**AN.**

WOOT! Early chapter! And it's longer!

AND OH MY GOD. I can't believe the amount of support this has received! This early chapter is a thank you for the reviewers and everyone else who fave'd and followed or just even read this thing. THANK YOU.

Detected and managed to correct a massive plot hole with their ages. If you're curious/still confused say so and I'll try to clear it up on another chapter (in an AN I mean).

Do tell me if you spot something else that doesn't add up.

And whoa, lots of things happened this time. I sense that the angst is finally showing its ears. Takao's one of my fav characters haha. With him it's easy to mess with Midorima and looks likes Kuroko has joined in XD. As well as act as his babysitter haha!

EDIT: Changed a little detail with Midorima.

So we have three GoM. I wonder when we'll see the rest XD. Btw, can you guess who is the brown-haired teen that Tetsuya noticed?


	5. Chapter 4

"Aomine-kun I do not know how to approach Midorima-san-"

"GYAA!"

"Aomine-kun-?" Tetsuya blinked in surprise, as the other recovered and pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Where do you come from?!"

Tetsuya blinked again, looked at the wall behind him, and pointed at it, "From here."

He was cuffed on the head for the effort.

.

Aomine eyed the other critically; it had already been two days since Tetsuya met Midorima and —after being brushed off (once he was noticed, of course) — the phantom had been at a loss. Yet today was the first day Aomine woke up to find Tetsuya still there, instead of at his own tomb. He was pretty sure it was because worry was eating away at the pale teen, but it still made Aomine glad.

No matter how much he gave no fucks for anybody, he had sort of been pushed Tetsuya under his care, waking up some… emotions he had thought buried for good. He had to care for the other, because nobody had done that for him. It was so weird actually but-

"Where did he _go_!?" Aomine bellowed in surprise, frantically looking around him to find no blue-eyed kid there. A certain glint lit up dark blue eyes as the ghost vanished. He was going to find him and wring that little neck of his.

* * *

As it turned out, Aomine hadn't needed many attempts at locating the pale boy. He was exiting Maji's, a milkshake in each hand and a determined expression on his face.

"Ah, Aomine-kun, hello." He bowed politely upon seeing him, and Aomine snapped. He pushed his head down as he demanded why had he disappeared like that. If anyone else had spotted this curious scene, they would most likely have called the police, because the delinquent was obviously extorting the pale kid. Aomine should be glad they're both ghosts.

"Aomine-kun…" Tetsuya finally mumbled in reply, once he had managed to duck out of that hand, the milkshakes balancing in a single hand to properly defend himself. "You weren't paying attention." The dark-skinned teen blinked in puzzlement, but wasn't allowed to answer, "I clearly told you I had an idea that I wanted to try. It occurred to me on the spot."

"Oh…sorry…?" Aomine managed to get out, feeling once more like his first meeting with this ghost. Tetsuya graciously accepted the apology, his face not moving a single muscle, so the taller teen entirely missed his curiosity.

Aomine messed up his own hair, sighing tiredly, "So you're going with Midorima again, huh. If you don't mind, I'm sitting out on this one. I'm tired of hearing him whine."

Doubt entered Tetsuya's mind. After all, he had no clue on how to go about befriending Midorima-san, but he needed to steel himself. He had promised Takao!

(Aomine decided against asking about the quiet teen that suddenly pumped his fist, as if decided— he just suddenly felt sorry for Midorima.)

Tetsuya turned to him again, but he only managed to open his mouth before a hand was messing up his hair.

"Meet me at my place when you're done, Tetsu." He muttered; as he turned around, ready to disappear.

"Will do."

.

* * *

Aomine wandered the streets, with no clear destination in mind. He had decided against having to go meet Midorima again. He might not antagonize him as he did to Tetsu, but his character pissed him off most of the time, perhaps just not when with Takao. But the Living was easy to get along with, so he figured it had nothing to do with Midorima being a nicer person.

He looked both ways of the street before crossing, ignoring the zooming cars passing through him. He glanced up at the sun.

It was still early. If he wasn't mistaken, she'd still be in her house, preparing herself for school.

And that left Aomine with absolutely nothing else to do. Just as always.

The deceased teen copied an iced popsicle as he wandered aimlessly through the suburban area. It came as no surprise to end up tracing the route to Kise's normal hideout.

"Aominecchi! …Kurokocchi's not with you? He's not going to appear behind me in any moment is he?" The hyperactive blond greeted him with his usual enthusiasm, comically looking behind him. Aomine heaved a sigh.

"Nah, came alone, so stop being so ridiculous."

A bit of his cheerfulness drained away at those words. For Kurokocchi he'd try. Aomine just wasn't worth it. "So what did you come here for, then?"

"Nothing else to do," the blue-haired ghost shrugged, the blond arched an eyebrow.

"I'm not your personal entertainment center, Aominecchi."

"As if you had anything else to do." The dark-skinned teen huffed with amusement and soon enough they were walking together down the street.

"I just saw you the other day, so I don't have a lot to tell you, actually," the blond model spoke up, "actually, you could be the one to talk this time, how'd you meet Kurokocchi?"

With a groan of annoyance Aomine tried to come up with an excuse not to talk, but he decided against it when he noticed that Kise wouldn't let him back down out of this one. The older ghost looked up at the sky, which resembled Tetsu's eyes actually, before he haltingly told the blond how they had bumped into each other. He was brief, omitting a lot of details, and holding his tongue on his thoughts. Kise wouldn't care what he thought anyway.

At last they arrived to the cinema and settled into some random room, not bothering with the title of the movie.

"Hey, with all that had been going on with Mr. I-have-the-balls-to-hit-Aominecchi, have you gone visit Momoi?"

Aomine paused in thought and slanted a _tired _glance at him. "What gives?"

They usually don't talk about her.

"I just don't think you'd take Kurokocchi to her." Kise said as all explanation, curious enough to force his point. He got comfortable, glanced at the still-blank screen once before focusing on the other. Aomine wasn't looking at him anymore.

"And?"

"You haven't gone meet her then?" Aomine paused before completely turning his face away and the model let out a whistle of amaze. The lights went off and the movie started, but neither of them paid it any mind.

"Whoah, how do you manage?"

Before Aomine can manage to hurt the blond, he's already speaking again, "Well at least it's nice you haven't been so hung up over Momoi."

"…" Aomine stared at him for a long moment before giving up, turning his head away to hide the hurt in his expression. "…yeah."

There was a beat of silence, the dead model assimilating the fact. He decided it definitively was worth it (dismissing the physical injuries he might sustain) and continued asking, "So if you're doing so well, where's Kurokocchi?"

"Why the fuck are you so interested in him?" He snapped at him, angrily, tense. "He's with Midorima."

As the words escaped Aomine, he was already regretting it. Kise's features turned to stone.

"How many times must I say that I do not want to hear his name?"

"You asked."

The blond frowned but didn't pursue the fact.

"So, why is Kuroko wasting his time like that?"

The blue-haired teen huffed in annoyance. "Ask him yourself, will ya'?"

They fell into a tense silence. Both teens turning to the movie, as they always did whenever they fell into a slump in the conversation. Kise knew it was probably not the best thing to do, ignoring the issue, but he couldn't care less.

Aomine needed to correct his previous thought. Takao was easy to get along with, as long as you weren't Kise Ryota. It was frankly pathetic, he thought, how the model hated him. Midorima too. Had even gotten angry at Aomine for not feeling like him.

Petty. Kise Ryota was such a petty man.

.

Suddenly, as if shocked, the blond bolted up and —without saying goodbye— the man dashed out. Leaving Aomine alone.

The remaining teen sighed, clearly expecting it.

It was midday.

"I bet you have no right to tell me anything, Kise."

.

* * *

After that friction-filled talk, the dark-skinned ghost left the cinema and wandered over to the next town. He alternated between walking and vanishing, not exactly wanting to arrive there quickly.

He looked beside him, almost expecting a pale ghost struggling to keep pace with him and he couldn't help the amused smile that tugged at his lips. It had been less than a week, but the polite kid had grown on him.

As he stepped onto the building and wove his way inside, Kise's words kept repeating themselves in his mind.

He stared at the still-closed train station, eyes passing through the remains of the train wreck. The place that marked both his and Midorima's death.

"_If you're doing so well, where's Kurokocchi?"_

Aomine snarled at nothing. He'd hate to admit it but... Tetsuya also reminded him of her.

The same brittle hope, the same way neither of them seemed intimidated by his appearance, the same way they just clicked together...

Perhaps having Tetsuya with him was not his cure but rather his milder drug.

...not that he actually cared.

.

* * *

Despite everything, Aomine suddenly found himself glad Tetsu wasn't with him this day. He had prevented himself from thinking about Satsuki, but it made him feel weird not having visited her for so long.

He wasted no time appearing right into her usual homeroom.

There she was, taller and bustier, her long pink-hair tied up in a ponytail as she obviously struggled to battle sleep. Blue eyes gained a softer edge as he meandered over to her.

"Hey there, sorry I haven't visited you the other days, you see, I met someone." He whispered to her, a smile dancing on his lips, void of emotion, as the Living continued jotting down notes, raising her head ever so often when the lecturer explained this or that. Aomine didn't mind.

"Must be tough huh? Being in college?" He asked her, craning his head to peer at her notes. It was human biology, together with diagrams and random doodles. "But you're doing fine, just as always."

Satsuki snapped to attention. She surreptitiously looked around before digging in her backpack for another notebook. She opened it in a certain page and started jotting down some random-seemingly numbers, and exercises. Her training menu. "Not surprised at all, coach."

In silence, Aomine mocked-tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear— always unable to, reminded of the vast difference between them both as his fingers pass _through _her hair.

"I'm sorry, y'know?" The ghost muttered to her once more, even if she was unable to see or hear him. Satsuki smiled and started humming to herself. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone."

"I'm sorry…" He repeated once again to the void.

The spirit finally decided it was enough and backed away before vanishing on the spot.

Satsuki's hum died on her lips

.

* * *

"What are _you _doing here?"

"That's what _I'd _like to know! Where's Tetsu? Wasn't he with you?" Aomine snapped at the green-haired male beside him. They were both gazing into what became their deathbed.

"That annoying ghost hasn't left me alone. Are you so stupid you can't take a guess as to why I'm here? And I don't know where he went."

Aomine grimaced. He hoped Tetsu was already at his place, if not, there was small chance he'd be able to find him. His presence was certainly small.

"Why weren't you there? To keep control of that meddlesome ghost."

Aomine's face became deadpan. It was time to mess with the other. "I do not know who you are talking about."

"Yes you do." Midorima immediately replied, pushing his glasses up. The darker teen rolled his eyes an amused smile already tugging at his lips.

"There are a lot of people you call meddlesome. How about actually using their names for once?"

Midorma's face turned red as he tried not to yell —an action they all thought curious, being able to turn red even if blood no longer coursed their veins. He pushed his glasses up again with a sigh, "Kuroko Tetsuya is who I'm talking about. So, answer me already."

"Heh, you even remember his first name." Aomine commented with a toothy grin before focusing. "He ain't my problem. I just tag along since I'm bored. And today I just decided not to."

"Then why was he there? And with _milkshakes? _Couldn't you have at least told him I despise those things?"

Aomine blinked. Oops.

"He's going to manage to give me a headache at this rate. I bet to you his blood type is A." Shintaro continued, heedless of the suddenly sheepish face of the other.

"Aw, come on. Blood types again? I bet to you he isn't." He called back before pausing and asking, "Out of curiosity. How did things go today?"

Shintaro leveled a deadpan stare at him without answering.

"You really don't change, do you? Takao surely has a handful with you." Aomine said while shaking his head. "At least Tetsu had him to keep him company."

"Takao wasn't there. If you'd just use your brain, you'd know he's at school." The glasses-ghost replied testily. "Kuroko certainly has it hard if his only company is such a brainless idiot like yourself."

The dark-skinned ghost sighed, "If you think like that, why don't you become Tetsu's friend? He's practically begging you."

The fair-skinned teen paused in his motions for a split second —a moment that went unnoticed to the other. He gathered himself, back again with his irritation and opened his mouth to reply, only for his face turned contemplative. "I see. That would explain why Kuroko has been bothering me. Between me and you, he's come to realize who's best…"

"Yes, whatever you say." Aomine cut him, already having tuned him out half-way. He shook his head with amusement before stating he was going back. He had to demand a reward from a certain ghost.

.

* * *

Uh, well this wasn't good.

Where was he?

Tetsuya had tagged along with Midorima right up until he disappeared and had mindlessly meandered about, thinking on what he could do. The milkshakes clearly hadn't worked. He had been thinking so hard that next time he looked around him he recognized nothing.

His impassive face showed nothing of the slight panic that had gotten over him.

He had been heading in a certain way that hopefully would get him to someplace he knew when another unexpected thing happened.

"Ah- I apologize." Tetsuya automatically said upon bumping into someone. Only to immediately freeze in place because he had _bumped _into someone. Tetsuya looked back, surprised at seeing yet another ghost wandering the streets. The other's red-gold eyes stared at him in a way that seemed to say 'How dare you bump into me?', but before Tetsuya could do more than widen his eyes and open his mouth to apologize again, the stare was gone and was replaced by curiosity.

"I don't recognize you." He stated as if that fact was a huge anomaly. The short redhead stared at Tetsuya as if he was a pretty beetle in a case before adding to himself, "and I didn't see you until you bumped into me…"

"I passed away recently. Nice to meet you." Tetsuya said, falling into his default politeness when he didn't know how to proceed. The strange redhead frowned at this, his golden eye gleaming ominously.

"Where are you from?" Tetsuya blinked twice before answering, only to see the strange ghost's frown deepen, "That surely can't be. Maybe you passed in another city." He suggested as if Tetsuya wouldn't know. Not offended at all, the poker faced ghost shook his head softly.

"I died on the mountain by the outskirts; I haven't left this district since I was ten." At this, the redhead's face softened and he huffed in amusement.

"Well, at least that I can understand." He said cryptically, before his red eyes zeroed in on him again. "But that doesn't answer why I didn't see you."

Now Tetsuya was really confused. What did one thing have to do with the other?

"Never mind. Sorry about that," The redhead had then said, not looking sorry at all. He shrugged before walking past him, a hand raised to brush against his hair. "Do take some time to travel. It wouldn't do not to take advantage to."

And he was gone. Leaving behind a very confused Tetsuya. He had no idea what the other ghost had wanted with him, and now that he thought about it, he didn't know the other's name.

And wait, weren't his eyes red and gold?

.

* * *

"Took you long enough."

"I apologize. I seem to have gotten lost."

"Seriously? You didn't know your way back from Shintaro's park?"

"Shin-? Ah, yes, but I chased Midorima-san."

Aomine dropped his head into his awaiting palm at the 'explanation' Tetsuya had given. After waiting for a good amount of time— just before he started considering going out to search for the teen himself— the pale ghost finally arrived.

Tetsuya paused, remembering once more the strange ghost with the red eyes, and opened his mouth to tell Aomine, but his next words immediately distracted him.

"Oh, talking about which. I chanced upon Shintaro as well. I sorta convinced him to give you a chance."

Tetsuya looked up with hope, but seeing Aomine's proud smile made him falter. It was so weird… Having someone else to rely on.

"So I want a good reward for it, start thinking on something," He continued smugly before he finally took notice of the look on the other, "Tetsu?"

"Thank you very much." The aforementioned teen said with a bow, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'll make sure to think about it."

Aomine looked down at the fragile teen before him. The amusement drained from his face even as a wry smile pulled at his lips.

Yes, Tetsuya was definitively his milder drug. And his best distraction.

"Com'on now, it's still early so let's go out." He exclaimed with enthusiasm, swinging an arm around the surprised other and dragging him outside. "How about we watch a movie?"

* * *

**AN**

What'd you think? Finally the angst is upon us! You see the usual minimal pain in Tetsu and finally a bit on how the rest managed before Tetsu arrived. And I hadn't noticed how clueless Tetsu looks. Also another character was sort-of introduced XD Though I'm sure everyone already knows who he is.

He was not to appear until later, but I decided to speed things up a bit…so yeah.

Sorry if this seems short and sorry for no updates soon but I joined CampNano XD. Wish me luck.

Let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 5

AN.

Dedicated to **Deugemia**. I feel ya, dude. I really do. Exams... Such nasty little things. (Just had finals myself). Your reviews basically made this chapter as well. I had no idea what was up next.

Guess who failed Camp Nano? :D? T_T School decided to kill me with work so I was unable to. And it was about filling in the blanks of my Nano novel… which are still blanks. Such sad. Much pain.

I haven't received my hs certificate, but I'm already a university student. Fack.

But oh, well, whatever. Ho ho ho! (*has lost it*)

Please enjoy.

* * *

"At this rate, I'll end up nicknaming you 'sack', y'know?" Aomine deadpanned as he lugged a certain teen over his shoulder again. It was well after midnight and as if he were just a little kid, Tetsuya had dozed off—not before completely running out of energy first.

Only to be rudely awoken by the other swinging him around like a doll. Still drowsy, the reply lacked much of Tetsu's characteristic dry humor, "That is rude, Aomine-kun. Besides, I believe it is a nickname more suitable for you."

"How so?"

"You are a pervert."

"What does- oh. Oh ho, ain't the pure boy being vulgar?"

Tetsuya's white cheeks flushed when not only his comeback was inefficient, it also was something he normally wouldn't say.

* * *

Kuroko was all but thrown onto his makeshift bed, bleary eyes looking at Aomine. The tanned teen seemed to find him funny and his smile was almost mocking.

"G'night, Baggage."

And he was gone. Involuntarily, tears sprang to Tetsuya's eyes as the words registered in his mind. He still couldn't get over the fact that there was someone that wished him good night. Someone who would smile at him whenever he said it.

Someone who actually was there to wish goodnight to.

Tetsuya had nothing against his parents. He really didn't, at least they had —at some point— opened a bank account for him so while they worked overseas and traveled all around the world he still could buy food for himself and pay the light and electricity; even taxes (though those had been a bit trickier). They did not make him suffer nor did he lack any resource for his wellbeing. They just…sort of constantly forgot him. A lot. At least they had paid for his whole school life in advance (this he had discovered on his own the first time Tetsuya had gone to the principal to inquire if it was alright to pay his debts back, since he had forgotten that school actually needed to be paid for).

Somehow, while his mind recalled events of his past, he ended up dozing off and next thing he knows he's once again standing there, reminding himself that yes, he was very much dead. Emotionless teal eyes stared back at the gravestone with his name engraved on it.

His parents hadn't exactly been there when he needed them. He eventually learned not to need them, or anyone else for that matter. But they _had _supported their son, despite forgetting who he even was on a daily basis. And he had repaid them by dying before his time.

He gazed up at the lightening sky and calculated he still had more or less half an hour more before Aomine woke up. A small smile cracked his mask at the thought, and he lightly chastised himself once more by not feeling all that guilty for dying.

"…Here it is."

A voice suddenly snapped him out of his thoughts, whirling around to face the stranger, his mind already trying to figure out if he was also a ghost.

Dark teal eyes stared right through him and Tetsuya already discarded the idea as his eyes dropped to the ground —he was right, the stranger's perfectly visible feet touched the ground, and there wasn't that faint fog that appeared whenever a ghost hovered in the same place for a prolonged amount of time.

The man who had spoken wasn't alone either; his arm was grasped by a short woman with a pale face over a normally pale complexion. Tetsuya wondered if she was ill for a moment, before he remembered he was at a graveyard. Just as he realized this, the woman's eyes filled with tears, but she looked more resigned than anything. Tiredly she rested her head on her presumed husband's arm.

"…I guess he really is gone, now…"

Uncomfortable, Tetsuya decided he better leave them, to allow them to grieve alone —as they thought they were. But he was stopped by yet another voice at his back.

"Oi, you-!" Aomine started with an annoyed drawl, catching Tetsuya's immediate attention by falling silent shortly after, not even finishing his sentence.

"Aomine-kun? Is there something wrong?"

"Sorry for interrupting, I'll come back later." Aomine managed to voice out, still looking surprised. Tetsuya eyed him weirdly. He generally did not care he was butting into Tetsuya's grave-contemplation so,

"What brought this on?" The pale boy asked, surprised at the other's surprise. "Aomine-kun?"

The dark-skinned male raised a feeble hand, finger pointing at something behind him. "Tetsu… they are your parents, am I right?"

Puzzled, the boy frowned briefly before turning around —he had spent quite some time here and he was pretty sure he had not missed any-

"Oh." Escaped his lips as realization hit him on the head. It was the pair from before. Tetsuya had been too distracted to notice that the grieving couple had been standing at his grave. "I suppose they are…"

Aomine stared dubiously at the back of the young ghost. 'Oh'? What was that supposed to mean? What the fuck was wrong with Tetsu's surprised…

He had mentioned his parents were on a business trip. He hadn't actually gone into detail how many trips they took, or how long these were. Somehow his suppositions clicked in place, fitting in with Kuroko's strange stares and overwhelmed expression with something as quotidian as good fucking night. Also with his confusion and surprise. Tetsu's parents had been away long enough for their son to completely forget what they even looked like.

It had been a long time since he felt like murdering someone.

This was the first time since he met Satsuki's mother-

Physically wincing at the thought, he was snapped out of it and pained azure eyes watched his frail little charge tentatively stepping forward to get a closer look at his parents' face.

A part of him wanted to stop his milder drug so he wouldn't hurt himself in some way. Another part of him stood transfixed with the irrational fear that this, _this _was what Tetsuya had wanted, his last wish, his life's regret and he was going to disappear _right before his eyes._

* * *

Tetsuya faced his parents with more curiosity than anything, drinking in their features and their very real sorrow. Despite himself he felt tears well up as he stared at the almost-strangers, since they had just confirmed something he had wondered since he was nine years old.

For what felt like hours he could do nothing more than stare at them, drinking in their features, surprised at the signs of age on their faces.

"A single call… A single call would have been enough." He croaked out at last, voice sounding watery and anguished, as his face contorted to familiar emotions he had thought buried already. His shoulders hunched and his fist clenched.

His mother —it was his mother!—sobbed, as the man with his eyes consoled her.

His hands rose to cover his face, tired and helpless. It was too late. He was already dead and they had no clue of him being there, hope of ever speaking to each other again…

They had identified his body and named his grave. They remembered him.

They had _flown across from wherever-they-were to come cry at his grave_. They _loved him. _Despite everything, they still loved their unknown son.

But really, had it been too much to ask?

Birthdays, Christmas, graduations… everything ended up not meaning anything to Tetsuya because he was always _alone._

Nine-year-old Tetsuya had already begun wondering if his parents even cared about him, let alone loved him.

"If-if you were going to come only when I died, then I guess I should have died sooner!" He half-laughed, half-sobbed, feeling a void inside him. He meant it. He really did. His life had had no value, and if dying would have at least allowed him to see his parents one last time-

And suddenly there's an arm around him shoulders, calming him down as he's being pushed away. But not before he heard a last,

"….wished you a happy birthday, my little son."

* * *

There was a heavy silence in the room as Aomine crouched, some meters away from the curled-up form of his companion. He had been pushed away and Tetsuya had gained his ball-like form since they returned to Aomine's place, nobody uttering a word.

Aomine really shouldn't be all that surprised. It was supposedly quite hard to become a ghost after all. They all lugged around their own heavy baggage. Tetsuya's new nickname, "Baggage" sure suited him in more ways than one.

As similar as they both were, at least Satsuki had a doting father. At least she always found a positive side for everything. She had had him, her first support when her world came crashing down.

She had had him, but now he was dead. And now that he was dead, he saw someone with her same eyes, but who couldn't smile and brave the hardships like she had done. He'd have him. For what he was worth, anyway. Tetsu would have him by his side, Aomine swore mentally as he achingly remembered a gesture he hadn't made in _years_.

He crawled over to him. "Tetsu." He called in a low mumble, and a tired _tired _face glanced up. Aomine hesitated again, his whole arm feeling numb.

He raised his hand to be eye-level with Tetsuya, clenched into a loose fist, facing the other. It hurt surprisingly less than what he would have guessed. Teal eyes stared at him, confused.

"Bump fists with me." He explained, and when the other did not attempt to move, he continued, "You're not alone, y'know. You've got me. I might not be much, but- sometimes, alone it's much harder. So while some things can't be avoided, at least I can assure you it gets better. It does, I promise. You're not alone now."

A hesitant pale hand slowly raised, its owner uncertain. But then Tetsuya's face softened, seeing the other's determination and the hand closed into a looser fist.

Their knuckles bumped into each other, skins contrasting.

Tetsuya stared at their hands in new wonder, before his eyes sought Aomine's. A smile broke through his mask.

"I will take your word for it."

* * *

A day literally doing nothing but laying on the ground, staring at the ceiling was…oddly okay, once in a while. Aomine mused, as he blinked the sleep off his eyes. It was yet another day, the rays of the sun barely showing themselves in.

"Tets' wake up…" He called out, as he pushed himself up. Somebody to his right mumbled something but obligingly started moving. "We've got to go out today. People need to know your new nickname-!"

Suddenly on high-alert, the smaller boy upper-cutted Aomine with a perfectly blank expression before heading out. The Yankee-looking teen wheezed for air and sagely decided against commenting about Tetsuya's bed hair (again).

* * *

"…so then I dared 'im, to go into the shop —a sex shop, obviously, it wouldn't be a dare if not — and he started calling me a perv ever since."

Kise laughed heartedly, his surprise at actually having Aomine approaching him to tell him something like this quickly fading into good humor. Besides, Kurokocchi was here.

"Guess he already knows you very well." Kise teased, winking at Tetsuya, who nodded back solemnly. The dark-skinned male clicked his tongue in mock annoyance.

"Bah, as if! But anyway, we ran around town and it was —what, ten o'clock — and this guy already had zero energy. As in he literally just collapsed to the ground when I stopped to copy a pizza." Tetsuya pretended he was very interested in the new attire Kise had all but shoved him into while the other two laughed it up at his expense. He didn't really mind. He had seen this kind of teasing going around with his classmates, and it had seemed like fun. Neither of them meant any ill against him, so everything was fine. A bit embarrassment felt good, actually.

"I waved my pizza at him, but really what could he do? So I picked him up, like this, " he said as he mimicked the movements of someone slugging a sack of potatoes over his shoulder, prompting Kise to snort. "Not the first time I had to do it. So, he's Baggage."

Ryota blinked once. Then he got it. Shoulders trembling from trying not to laugh too hard, the blond's face turned red as he repeated the nickname to himself.

Tetsuya allowed him about five seconds of laughter before he had enough and jabbed the model in the gut. And Aomine too, for good measure.

"K-Kurokocchi…you're surprisingly strong…" The blond groaned from the ground, while the other fallen male grumbled under his breath. "By the way, how have things gone with copying? Already got the hang of it?"

Tetsuya pondered about this attempt at diverting attention, before letting it slide. " I believe I have."

* * *

Tetsuya, Aomine and for some reason, Kise stood at the entrance for school, staring at the closed gates in silence.

"So this was the school you'd have been in?" The blond model glided closer to the youngest ghost, clearly thinking him much more interesting than some school. The poker faced teen simply nodded and the model peered at the building again. "Why though? Teiko is a pretty reputable school. Most of us used that to get into well-known schools. Seirin isn't one."

"…I liked it." Kuroko simply replied in a murmur. He gazed longingly at the school. "Someone I knew told me that if he ever had the chance he'd attend here."

"Someone you knew? Kurokocchi's friend?" The dead model asked, thoroughly interested, while Aomine listened in on them more discreetly.

Shadowboy blinked in surprise before he rubbed the back of his head, avoiding either of their gazes. "I would not go that far, Kise-kun. We…just met one day and-"

"Oh! And from henceforth you two became the best of friends, right? She was your first crush, am I right?" Kise exclaimed (wailed) in excitement, not having quite heard Kuroko apparently as his mind weaved its own interpretations and stories.

For that he was rewarded by a slap to his head, courtesy of Aomine. "You really should learn the meaning of listening, Kise." Much to the blond's surprise, the statement was spoken with a bit more candor than other times. No… not candor, he mussed as he watched Aomine drift over to use Kuroko's head as an armrest. Even if it still had been a long time, he still remembered what protectiveness looked like.

"You are wrong, Kise-kun," Kuroko started, bluntly enough. "Ogiwara is most certainly male. We- I met him the day he and his family were moving away. He told me that he was going to return though. Because he wanted to attend Seirin like his dad."

"When did you meet him?" Aomine inquired curiously as Kise pouted by himself from having his illusion crushed by 'ugly men'.

"I do not remember, but we were children. I'm quite aware promises from back then hold no weight, but I ended up liking the school itself." Kuroko nodded to the building as if approving of it. The three ghosts stared at the school in silence before,

"Let's check it out!" Kise decided for all of them as he sprinted inside. At a more leisure pace, the others followed.

* * *

It was so _crowded. _Tetsuya couldn't help but think as he tried not to pass through any of the alumni currently rushing outside their classrooms. Like a single-minded entity, the girls and boys each shoved their way down the double doors that probably led to the cafeteria.

"Lighten up that face," along with a hard slap on his back that made him tumble through someone else, were Aomine's reassuring gestures. The lithe teen straightened up, mentally swearing revenge. "You look as if you had just died."

Tetsuya did not deign that with a reply. Instead he avoided two more students before ramming his elbow at the unsuspecting other. He was just going to tower over the wailing other when he felt someone staring at him.

Hairs prickling up, the young ghost whirled around, the first thing to catch his sight being a mop of red hair. Unnerved, he was reminded of the strange redheaded ghost he had met last time. More students blocked his view then, but he was quickly assured it wasn't him. He was quite sure he had seen a Seirin uniform —he was a Living. But then, of course that arose even more questions. Impatiently, the teen with teal eyes moved to get another look— and the redhead was nowhere to be seen as Kise came running at them, something big in his raised hands.

"Look at what they have in their canteen!" The blond chirped, bouncing to them, waving the oversized bread in his hand. "It was so hard to get ahold of this! They disappear immediately!"

Two curious heads peered closer as Kise undid the wrapping, mouths watering at the enticing smell. But the excitement died down a bit once they saw the actual contents of the bread. It was so full of different things… that it actually did not look appetizing at all.

"Uh…" Kise began, unsure what to do with it, but soon enough the bread had disappeared from his hands as Kuroko held it most awkwardly as he took off a big bite trying not to offset the mountain of ingredients.

A glint lightened up in normally dull eyes. Tetsuya slowly chewed, swallowed, blinked as a rosy shine started emitting from his cheeks as he began stuffing his face. Aomine stared dubiously at him, wondering if it was a trick, but at seeing such obvious delight on the other he decided to try the ugly thing. His face instantly morphed.

"Aominecchi?" Kise asked, eyebrow arched sticking out his lower lip at feeling left out. He wondered what was the big deal with the bread for all of half a minute before he was shoving the others away to have a taste for himself.

Kise's taste buds reached Nirvana.

.

The three of them stayed eating long after the Living had returned back to class. Kise had possessed an unsuspecting student —carrying the very last heavenly bread— and made him hide it away from other hungry Living so they could copy it to their heart's (and stomach's) content. The polite, soft-spoken teen had been thoroughly displeased by the act but had been ultimately unable to ignore the waft of rich smell along with the other's coaxing. It wasn't alright, but it was already done anyway. Not to mention that at the end, the janitor appeared to clear the cafeteria, and found the bread, perfectly intact.

Tetsuya got his first hint at the enigma that Kise was as he ran for the exit without even a farewell, even more frantic than usual as he mumbled curses, forgetting in his haste, that he was a ghost and hence, he could basically teletransport himself —much faster than running.

At a leisure pace, the crowds of students trailed after him, ready to depart for their homes, unknowing, as always, of the otherworldly beings around them.

* * *

Aomine and Tetsuya were making their way back, after spending a little while more at the school before heading out to eat. Aomine walked with slow but long strides while the younger ghost tried not to drag his feet.

"Need a lift, Baggage?" The dark-skinned male asked playfully as Tetsuya shot him another one of his not-glares. The shorter male made a point of walking in front of him, thin shoulders squared, if he still had had a shadow, it would stretch out larger than him

The older soul couldn't help but remember the scene from the graveyard. Somehow the last words he had heard from the parents sticking out to him like a sore thumb, the words replaying in his mind incessantly since he remembered them. He decided to ask. "Tetsu, when's your birthday?" The pale boy was too distracted with acting energetic to pay him much mind.

"Oi, Tetsu!"

"Ah-yes- could you please repeat it again Aomine-kun?" A flustered pale boy stopped his motions to sketch a tiny bow of apology.

"Birthday." Aomine simply said, not bothering himself with more. Though much was his surprise when the teal-haired teen's eyes widened impossibly and his mouth fell open. "…Tetsu? Somethin-"

"I did not know, Aomine-kun, please just give me a moment and I'll bring something for you-!" Tetsuya whispered urgently, already turning around to dash for a present —his mind panicking about _what _he could give as gift— when all movement was aborted when Aomine grabbed the back of his shirt and Tetsuya slipped before he gave a step. His shirt hitched up, like a tent over his shoulders as Aomine did not let go even after making the other fall. Worried teal eyes stared at him.

"I meant _your _birthday, dumbass." Aomine stated dryly, arching an eyebrow at the overreacting other. Tetsuya's eyes widened once more before his brow furrowed in confusion. "You make me repeat myself one more time and I'mma bash your head in, okay? When. Is. _Your_. Birthday?"

Tetsuya blinked. "Why?"

Aomine blinked back, unimpressed.

The shorter ghost looked away. "…January."

"Day."

"Why?"

This time there was a knuckle boring a hole in his head.

"Stop it, Aomine-kun… It hurts…fine, the thirty-first."

Aomine paused again, as realization hit. Tetsuya bit the inside of his cheek to hide his grimace. There was still a small chance, he consoled himself. A chance the other hadn't actually caught up to him dying on his birth-

"That's so soon!" Aomine exclaimed, surprise in his voice and face, even with a hint of panic. Shadowboy couldn't help but gape at him. Really?

Aomine missed his expression as he put a finger to his forehead, eyes closed. "What day is it today again…?"

Maybe he could get away with it?

"I am not quite certain." Kuroko replied with the most perfectly blank face he'd ever had. "But my birthday has already passed quite some time ago."

* * *

A still bewildered Tetsuya subtly stared at Aomine, still trying to figure out how'd he escaped and how long would it be since Aomine realized he had been lied to. Hopefully by the time he did, he wouldn't remember _when _he had died then. Tetsuya did not want to sound so pitiful. Nor be a burden to the other.

Talking about which…

"Aomine-kun, in which way should I compensate you for helping me?" He spoke in such formality that dark blue eyes only blinked at him in confusion. "With the business regarding Midorima-san."

Understanding flooded gaunt features, softening Aomine's face, "You're already doing it, dumbass." At the dubious stare he received, he rolled his eyes. "It's true, lifting you up is very good exercise, Baggage."

He was not hit this time. Instead, stern teal eyes stared at him serenely. "I do not joke, Aomine-kun. Not about this. I wish to repay my debt to you."

"It's not a debt, idiot. I felt like doing it, and I did. I was kidding when I told you I wanted a reward." The Yankee said as he sprawled on his worn mattress, eyes not leaving Tetsu.

Seeing him about to protest, he rubbed his face tiredly, "If you insist so much, then here's my request…

"I'mma ask you something, and you have to be honest about it. Got it?"

TBC

* * *

AN.

Okay. I wanted Ogiwara in here and here he is… Didn't expect him though.

And whoa, Aomine's such an idiot. I had not expected the convo to go down like it did. I mean… seriously? He's not Ahomine for nothing I guess.

I have a feeling the ending was weak...Any thoughts?

**What is Aomine going to ask**? I am asking you, amazing readers, I'll choose the best answer you can give me. It can be a silly question or serious like why he punched him or whatever.

(btw, yesterday I turned legal omfg)


	7. Chapter 6

**AN.** Well… I'm finally watching KnB S3. I hadn't thought my take on Ogiwara would be so similar to cannon o-o.

Guys**, I made a mistake** in Ch. 3. The Living that seemed to be looking at them is black-haired not a brunet;; Srry;; m(_ _;)m

Enjoy.

* * *

Aomine's eyes leave Tetsuya, glancing down to a side. Somehow, he was unsure how he'd take the question. But he also suspected the answer.

"What do you miss of your previous life?"

Tetsuya didn't quite understand the question at first, furrowing his brow in a clear sign of confusion.

The return of his perfect poker face meant he had caught on. The silence started stretching out then, dark blue eyes returning to Tetsu's face, waiting out an answer. Meanwhile Tetsuya couldn't help but think over the past few days, in his new life as a ghost. He remembered Takao, Midorima, Kise and his eyes landed once more on Aomine.

"I…" He began, mind blank. He couldn't tell the truth to Aomine. He was sorry but there was just no way. That he missed nothing. That he was actually really grateful he had died. That he wasn't alone, unseen and uncared for anymore.

Hell, he doubted he would have even had the chance to see his parents one last time had he not died when he did.

But he couldn't tell this to Aomine.

To the man that had given him the human contact he so craved. With the male that had offered him solace despite being hurt himself. To the ghost that felt so tired of being tied down by a regret. To the teen with the eyes the color of sadness.

No, he would not insult him so.

"I would tell you but it is somewhat embarrassing."

He would not be a burden.

"Heh, now you have to tell me."

"I miss my toy dog."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I almost forgot you're like seven." Aomine drew a wide smirk on his face, as he played along. He might be denser than a brick in some aspects but… even if he hadn't noticed the long pause, the confusion and the deep concentration or the pathetic excuse of a diversion…

But really?

Out of anything he could have said…

Family, friends, house, food…

Did he truly miss nothing else?

Could he truly not think of something to lie about at least?

Aomine then stared down at the feeble ghost, eyes like steel piercing him. "Okay then," he said, letting the other know he had not been believed. "Why did you regret not staying dead?"

Tetsuya froze, feeling as if his blood was running away from his face, neck, hands —a numbing sensation spreading over him. No, this question was even worse than the last-!

"Tetsu, you said you wanted to repay me. Being honest is necessary for this to work."

The other shoe fell in and Tetsuya's entire frame startled crumbling. This put more pressure on him than what he could handle and the boy had no idea how to respond. He didn't want to hurt him. He didn't want to insult him. He didn't want to lie to him so blatantly.

"Tetsu… you don't even have to tell me everything, but you're only harming yourself if you let this sit by just like that."

The numbing feeling slowly faded, but the teen remained bowed. What else could he do? He could not lie to his face again. "I did not lie then, Aomine-kun," he started in a low, tired tone. There was a pause, "I really am very tired." He inhaled and just let the words out.

"Had I not died by accident then, in a couple months more it would certainly not have been one."

With that brutal honesty, the pale teen walked away. Aomine let him.

What else could they do?

.

* * *

In that state of mind, that was how Tetsuya bumped into Midorima. He blinked, forgetting to compose his features long enough for even the green-haired ghost to notice.

"Oi…" Midorima started, stretching out a hand but hesitating at the last moment. He was fully unsure what to do. What was this, even?

Tetsuya did not begrudge him. He was not familiar with him, and the pale ghost knew he annoyed the other to no end, so it wasn't like Midorima was obliged to give him any comfort. Neither was Aomine obliged to hear about his death wishes. That had been a low blow, Shadowboy concluded even as he managed to steady his poker face.

He shouldn't burden anyone.

"Is something the matter, Midorima-kun?"

The ghost with glasses just stared for a second, slightly lost. He looked away at last with a mumbled no, before falling back into his usual dialogue.

"What are you doing here, you annoying ghost?"

And yet, once more Tetsuya upset him by bowing softly. "Thank you, Midorima-kun."

The other frowned on instinct, confused. But Tetsuya had once more managed to compose himself. He offered a small smile. "I apologize for… being so out of it today. May I inquire once more if you would like to do something together?"

"No!" Midorima replied almost instantly, falling back into his usual annoyed diatribe. He did not like the other ghost. Why should he care about the demons that haunted him? It would be nigh ridiculous.

"Midorima-kun, may I inquire as to why?"

"May I inquire, may I inquire, don't you say anything else? You don't even sound like a sixteen year old, what is wrong with your speech?"

Tetsuya once again paused. A small wrinkle appeared on his forehead. He cast scared eyes on the other, while wondering why was he strange. How had he messed up? Why was he such-?

"Where are you from anyway?"

Tetsuya blinked. And again. But before the tsundere had time to blush and deny any sort of interest, the pale ghost answered. "I am from here."

"…Recently?"

"Pardon?" The teal-head mumbled with furrowed eyebrows at this non-sequitur. Midorima actually seemed flustered this time around but dutifully cleared his throat and explained himself.

"Did you die recently?"

"Yes." Tetsuya bobbed his head, unaware that his reaction to this sort of question had started to change. He did not cringe, nor looked scared. But unlike other, older souls, he did not look jaded nor despondent either. Midorima thought this all to be too strange, but he was entirely focused on solving the speech dilemma to mention or even acknowledge this fact.

"Yet you speak as if you were an old man."

"Pardon me?"

Midorima grunted under his breath, a bit startled by his own words. "Whatever."

"Midorima-san?"

"What is it now?"

"You have been asking me a lot of questions."

"Eh?"

"Does that mean Midorima-san is finally relaxing around me?"

"…Eh?"

"I must tell Takao-san then."

"W-wait!"

But Tetsuya was already gone.

.

* * *

Tetsuya should feel bad. The ghost thought as he hid away from a panicky Midorima. But really, how the other supposed he could be able to find Takao without his help? He really had nothing to worry about. He had to be thankful though, the glasses-wearing teen had effectively managed to up his mood by a long shot.

He still did not want to go back with Aomine just yet.

He really was one ungrateful man, Tetsuya mused. When Aomine had even done him the favor of speaking on his behalf to get Midorima to actually pay him some attention. Surely this must be just because of whatever Aomine had told the green-haired ghost.

Now he even had gotten the other ghost worried and here he was hiding.

He should do something.

Sky-colored eyes looked down at his hands in thought. He wanted to apologize to Aomine. He had tried his best not to say anything insulting but ended up saying it either way. He should get something for Midorima while he was at it. Tetsuya needed to be careful and think this through. Lest he messed up again like when he brought the shakes to Midorima.

The sixteen-year-old ghost had no clue on what he could get for either of them but a part of him was glad for this—it was the perfect excuse for not going back to Aomine immediately.

He was scared of going back if truth be told.

…But to the point. Maybe he could get some food for them? Or… uh, what did one give to cheer someone else up? Could he use that for apologizing?

Not for the first time, Tetsuya wished someone had paid him a bit of attention or gifted him anything. But this time around, he wanted to know so he could be the one to offer comfort. The thought still was bitter of something akin to regret but it was a little different for some reason.

Out of a sudden a flash of blond popped up on his mind.

Was there any chance Kise-kun would know?

"Kise-kun."

"GYAAAAAH!"

"Kise-kun calm down it's just me."

"AAH-Eh? Kurokocchi?" The blond ghost cut off his scream as soon as Tetsuya's voice registered in his mind. There was silence for a moment before a smile popped up and Kise launched himself at Tetsuya. "Kurokocchi!"

The dead model couldn't help the smile that pulled at his lips at the feel of wrapping his arms around someone else again. He had wanted Kuroko to like him and for that he'd goofed off more than usual but…

It had been so long since he had last touched someone in such a manner.

"It has been a while." The pale ghost said when no other thing occurred to him after Kise remained silent.

"That's right!" The other pulled away to stare at his face. "What's up? Do you need anything? Want me to copy something for you?"

"Eh…no, thank you very much." Tetsuya bobbed his head in confusion. "I actually wanted to ask you…"

"Wait, wait, wait, com'on, let's go take a walk!"

And stumbling and tripping and still flinching away from touch, Tetsuya was promptly dragged from the basketball court they had been in.

A lone ball rolled to a stop behind them, not casting any shadow, before dissolving into thin air.

.

* * *

"Huh? For Aominecchi?"

Tetsuya got the first inkling of a suspicion.

"Yes. I have not known him for as long as you have, so I thought you would know better than me, something he likes." Shadowboy explained himself to an awfully confused Kise. The teen had stopped walking altogether and Kuroko had stopped, hands intertwined in front of him,— his feet vanishing after a couple seconds of standing still— as he waited for him. "Would you happen to-?"

"Kurokocchi, why do you want to give something to that man?"

"Eh?" Tetsuya faltered at the emotion he caught in normally carefree brown eyes, fading as soon as it appeared. He looked down, troubled. Was it wrong to want to give Aomine something as ways of apologizing? "Kise-kun, I apologize, I don't really know…"

Kise cut him again by raising his hands in front of him as if to stop him. "Ah, no, never mind! I'm sorry for saying that!" The model said with a nervous smile, confusion making his brow furrow at the way the other had seemed so put out by such small words. Baby-blue eyes stared at him with a glimmer of hope and Kise sighed. "Okay, well, he's not someone that wants for much… I suppose he wouldn't refuse food though."

"Would you know of something he fancies in particular?"

"Ummm…. Hamburgers?" The older soul cocked his head in confusion. But as a thought struck, his face cleared of emotion. "Wait, I actually know this one. Home-made food."

"Ah, really? Thank you very much, Kise-kun!" Tetsuya smiled as he bowed his thanks.

"He likes stupid stuff. Like whole lemons soaked in honey. Or sandwiches of pure mayo. Or omelets with pills sticking out of them. Or eggs burnt to a crisp. Or…" Kise's had continued to talk after the polite ghost had said his goodbye and ran away just like the novice he was.

Kise's smile slipped off as memories rushed back in. The stray ghost hovered in place, tired all of a sudden. "He's such an idiot… We're all really just fucking idiots." He let his head loll back, unseeing eyes staring up at the sky. A mocking smile tugged at his lips. "Pathetic. Every single one of us."

With that said, the blond statue waited just like that, until he could see the sun right above him. Then, like a bowstring snapping, his body jerked into a run for a few steps before he vanished on the spot.

It was midday after all.

.

* * *

Ingredients rolled to a stop on the counter, with one of the eggs vanishing once it hit the wall. Tetsuya stared at it with a sigh before focusing on getting the cabinet to open. He was in Seirin again, having thought long and hard of a good place to cook in, and after wandering aimlessly he had concluded he might as well use a school's cooking club's facilities while the students were in class.

The ghost missed the saucepan, his hand going through the thing instead, and he had to concentrate a lot to turn on the stove, but there was not much problem overall. That was, until the oil was not heating up despite it being several minutes with high flame.

Tetsuya frowned at the saucepan, seeing the heat emanating from the thing, yet the oil refused to acknowledge this fact. Getting mad, the ghost grabbed the handle —after several, even more irritating failed attempts— planning on doing it all over again when, in a second, the liquid starting sizzling.

Confused but relieved, Tetsuya left the pan once more and prepared to get the vegetables, but the instant he let go, the oil started cooling down.

As the cooking oil's sizzle descended into silence, the ghost's expression was so blank, emotions could slide right off his face.

Still expressionless, Tetsuya instead chopped the vegetables and made sure he had the eggs within reaching distance. Then he grabbed the handle again. The oil started coming back to life again.

Tetsuya sighed. Being a ghost sometimes was so weird.

.

* * *

Oddly enough, Midorima caught sight of him before Tetsuya even opened his mouth. Curiously enough, the first words to escape his lips were,

"You didn't go to Takao, did you?" The green-haired teen demanded just before his cheeks tinted pink for the smallest moment. "Well, not like what you had to say to him was accurate anyway."

But Tetsuya wasn't paying attention to the rambling ghost, instead he was unpacking the bento he had made for Midorima. He made sure Aomine's was still safely tucked away inside the half-dissolving backpack he had gotten for himself, before presenting Midorima's portion to the baffled man.

"What is-?"

"I am so very sorry, Midorima-kun, for having pestered you nonstop." Tetsuya bowed softly, hands still outstretched. His heart skipped a beat when he felt the packet being taken out of his hands and when he raised his head he saw a confused Midorima staring at the present.

"What is this?"

"As an apology I have cooked you some egg omelets. I hope it's to your liking." Tetsuya dutifully answered, blood pounding in his ears when the grumpy ghost arched an eyebrow but started examining the gift with curiosity.

"Why?"

Similarly disconcerted eyes stared at each other for a while. Tetsuya feels lost, unsure if he should repeat himself but Midorima was no longer paying attention to him, silently opening the boxed lunch. He stared at the contents, a bit at a loss for some reason. Midorima quickly jerked his head up to meet his gaze again, a startled air about him.

"You can leave."

"Eh?" Tetsuya whispered, confused and lost and worried. Had he not liked it?

Now, the older ghost narrowed his eyes as if irritated. "I accepted your… apology. Now leave before you annoy me again."

Tetsuya nodded his head, gaze blank even as his stomach churned painfully. "Yes…I see. If you excuse me."

He entirely missed the way slender fingers trembled.

.

* * *

"Tetsu."

The palest ghost turned around, startled to having been found out by Aomine even though he had not been in direct eyesight. He was even more startled by the open mouthed expression on the other, as if pained. His mouth dried up. He had really screwed up with him hadn't he?

"Aomine-kun. I'm sorry." He choked out with a bow, he then extended the remaining lunch box towards the other with his head still down. "I must apologize, for being so insensitive and I really…"

Don't abandon me.

His hands started to tremble when the lunch was not being taken, but he held it together. He was already starting to feel numb in the upper part of his body when he jumped when heavy, warm hands landed on his shoulders.

"Stop it, you idiot." It was the tired tone of his voice what made Tetsuya lift his head. "Don't apologize….what even is it what you think you did? I asked you something and you answered. Nothing more. So relax already, it's gonna get awkward if not."

Tetsuya rose from his bow, uncertain as to what he could be referring to, fumbling with the boxed lunch he still had.

"And give me that before you drop it." Aomine muttered, never forgetting that Tetsuya had offered it to him, gently taking the pack from shaky hands. He looked away when baby-blue eyes lightened in hope, embarrassed, but when neither added anything else, the silence started to stretch. Before it could get even more awkward, he inspected the gift. "By the way, what is- oh food! Is it egg omelet? It's has been a while, where did you get it-!" The dark-skinned teen's face glowed with good humor, but then he turned to a bemused Tetsuya. "But hang on a second, you actually cooked this? Why? And how the heck did you manage?"

Tetsuya hesitated. "How did I manage what?"

"Y'know, making food."

"Well, by copying it. As you taught me."

"Oh, it was already prepared. Yeah, I figured." Aomine said with a grin. He paused at Tetsuya's face. "What?"

"I- well, actually. I just copied the ingredients and prepared it myself."

"…Wait, you did?"

"Yes."

"Holy fuck..."

"What is the matter Aomine?"

"I… no, nothing, just that it's fucking hard to do that. The only one who does that is Murasakibara… It's too much of a hassle and heating things is a pain in the ass."

"Who is Murasakibara-san?"

Aomine stiffened and looked away. "Sorry, no one. Must have heard me wrong."

Kuroko opened his mouth to continue pestering him, but seemed to think again and simply nodded in his direction. "Yes, perhaps."

There was silence for a while before the dark-skinned male remembered he still had the lunch in his hands. He hesitated briefly at the familiar object before opening it –mouth watering at the smell—and started eating it, with slow care. He held the chopsticks almost shyly as he meticulously ingested every single gram of food. No one said a word.

Aomine mumbled his thanks as he set the empty box down, the chopsticks neatly placed on top. For a single breath, Aomine's frame seemed to crumble – but when Tetsuya blinked, the teen was upright, staring at him.

"Thank you. It was surprisingly delicious." He said in an almost whisper – so _so _uncharacteristic of him. "It had been such a long time since I had had…"

"I am glad you liked it." Tetsuya said to fill in the silence, the pressure on his chest easing just the smallest bit. "I must say it was difficult."

"It is. Congrats on unlocking the new ghost ability. Not really sure if it's useful, but, heh, you have it anyway… Tetsuya?"

The boy jolted in place at the way of calling. "Y-yes."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to go through that. That you thought that. I know just how much life can suck. But you were honest with me, so, uh, thanks."

The ghost of a memory, of a usually cheerful pink-haired girl crying her heart out, hating her life crossed his mind – just as always. He had been there. He had comforted her. And then he had gone and died and left her all alone with her sorrows.

Much as this kid apparently had been his entire life.

Aomine shut the part of his mind that whispered that he was just replacing faces—he was using a substitute—as he raised his fist, at his eye-level. He smiled sadly.

"I'm here now." He repeated.

"I'll be here with you. You're not alone… Tetsuya." Not Satsuki. Not anymore. Never more.

A pale, hesitant hand rose to meet his. It lightly pressed against Aomine's knuckles as lightly as the hope shone in teal eyes.

Teal was not supposed to be the color of solitude after all.

.

* * *

**AN.** Questions, questions, questions. Angst, angst, angst. Bros being bros. Sorry I only included one question of yours, had actually planned on having Aomine bothering Tetsuya some more but he bailed sooner than I expected.

Ah, well.

How did you like it? What do you think of this new ghost ability?

And woops, there goes Kise again. Wonder where to.


	8. Chapter 7

**AN**. Hey guys, it's been a while, huh.

Dedicated to **Epipelagic, **real late, but good luck with any future assignments you're procrastinating or will be procrastinating. Thanks for the congrats.

* * *

Tetsuya kicked at the air, as he hovered over his tombstone in thought. So many things had happened lately. He felt almost as if he couldn't keep track of them all.

He had seen his parents. He had cried. He had met Kise. Midorima. Takao. And…

"You done? Let's go eat at Maji's."

Something had changed with him and Aomine.

"Alright."

The taller teen waited for him before they both walked away in companionable silence.

(When Tetsuya thought he wasn't looking, Aomine saw the raw emotion in teal eyes and his heart wrenched in pain. Just how long had Tetsu gone without any human contact?)

* * *

When they were exiting the fast food restaurant, they bumped into another character in Tetsuya's new life (death?).

"Yo! Kurokocchi, Aominecchi! What a coincidence!" Kise Ryota exclaimed, waving his hand effusively. Tetsu tried not to flinch away as the other practically threw himself on top of him. (Aomine quickly pulled the blond off him though, so it wasn't all that bad.)

"Good morning, Kise-san."

"What are you doing here so early in the morning?" The oldest ghost asked the other, dark-hued eyes staring straight at the blond man, trying to figure out his secrets.

"What, can't I just go eat at Maji's without you shooting me that suspicious glare?" Kise said with a light tone, even as stony eyes stared back, betraying nothing. Almost as if daring him, Kise wrapped his hand around Tetsuya's shoulders and smiled at him with his eyes closed. "I'm not doing anything weird, right Kurokocchi?"

"You don't usually come here." Aomine replied lightly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Come'n, let Tetsu go already, don't be so clingy."

"Well, I don't need to explain myself to you, do I? Let go of me already." The former model said, shrugging off Aomine's hand with almost disdain. Releasing his hold on Tetsuya almost immediately.

Another thing Tetsuya had noticed since Aomine and he had gotten more comfortable with each other was that…

Kise and Aomine didn't actually behave like they got along at all. Or more like, Tetsuya thought they were hostile to each other. But maybe that's just how they got along. He wouldn't know.

"Don't be getting bitchy with me. You know I would bash your head in if you annoy me." The dark-skinned ghost growled lightly, still staring at Kise, who had disdain marring his features.

"Ooh, how scary. You can't hit me if you can't catch me, now can you?"

Aomine then broke off the tension by sighing into his hand, apparently tired of their banter, before he turned to Kuroko. "Is there anything you'd like to do?" He asked, ignoring the offended blond ghost in front of him. The shortest ghost bobbed in the air, a little at odds if it was okay to ignore Kise.

"Not particularly. What about you?"

"Hey, hey, Kurokocchi! Wanna hang out with me?" Kise instantly cut in, standing in front of him again. Kuroko drew back slightly, hands raised as if to protect himself.

"I-I wouldn't mind…Aomine-kun, is that alright with you?" The feeble ghost asked the older soul, immediately regretting it when he glimpsed the suddenly impervious face of the other. His hands started going numb, as nervousness got the best of him. Had he messed up? Did Aomine dislike Kise that much? Tetsuya couldn't really understand. Aomine and Kise… acted like friends sometimes. But others…

"Whatever. Com'n then." The ghost with blue eyes muttered, hands in his pockets and looking solely at a nervous Tetsuya. "Where to?"

"Uh…"

"How about the Italian restaurant that just opened? Kurokocchi, do you like Italian food?"

* * *

Pasta had never tasted better.

Tetsuya slurped at his food with glee as he kept a careful eye on the other two. They had already mocked him for his eating habits, but Aomine had looked at him fondly when Ghostboy said that he really liked pasta. Kise had proceeded to shove the little teen with tons of different varieties of pasta, but while Tetsuya was happy the other was gifting him, it wasn't so much the pasta itself what was so good. It was eating with somebody else, foods they all enjoyed.

* * *

"Kurokocchi, do you suppose you could teach me that thing… you know, how you just pop up like a ghost?"

Aomine stared in silence as finally the blond fox approached the subject he had started calling the other 'Kurokocchi' for. He wouldn't complain, mainly because Kise had apparently fallen for the boy without any of it being fake and the attention was healthy for his charge.

His eyebrow twitched at the way slender arms slowly snaked around the prone form of the youngest ghost. He immediately flashed forward and slapped the offending limbs away.

"Is there something you need, Aomine-kun?" The clueless ghost inquired, bending his neck back to stare at him. Beside him, Kise was half frowning, half-pouting.

"Nah, you had a bug there." Aomine replied, shooting a warning glare at said offending 'bug' before retreating. He did state, in no unclear terms, that Kise better watch his actions.

Trying to keep his little drug unaware of this, Aomine immediately got Tetsuya's attention by asking if he wanted to see a free movie. Unseen by the two, Kise Ryota stared at the two with a calculative glance.

He had noticed as an afterthought before but…

Aominecchi was really attached to Kuroko.

Two years being a hard-ass bastard, who let words drop out of his mouth without a thought. Of being rude and aggressive towards anyone. Two years and out of a sudden this little, non-assuming new ghost pops up and manages to change Aominecchi completely?

It felt fishy. Not to mention the way he had appeared out of nowhere was already incredible on its own way. Maybe besides that ghost ability (which Kise still wanted to learn) Kuroko had another one that attracted others? Or maybe this was going to be like a tv drama and Aomine was infatuated with the pale boy.

Whichever it was, Kise wanted a part in it.

The blond came up to them and once more slung an arm around thin shoulders —right over Aomine's actually— ignoring the latter's glower and missing entirely the minute rising of shoulders, the smallest hint of tension.

"Ku_rro_kochi! Let's go watch that movie!"

"Oi Kise-!"

"I-I would not mind."

Whatever to forget about his own problems.

* * *

For Aomine, the movie was boring but his two companions were thoroughly enthralled by the animated film so he set of to bother the Living as discreetly as possible. He glided through the front row, watching some of them shiver, one of them complaining the loudest about the air conditioner while Aomine stood in the middle of her figure. He copied himself some of her popcorn but finally relented when the girl seemed about to move. He did the same for the next couple rows before he started muttering darkly under his breath. It's not like they heard Aomine, or more like recognized the sound as a voice, but the eerie whisper their mortal ears could catch was just to the ghost's liking.

"I like cookies! Uuuhuu, tremble in fear!" Aomine cackled like an idiot, running out of things to say to his unnerved crowd. He figured he could mock Kise. "I'm a model so I don't have time to hang out, gotta stare at myself for five hours.

"I'm a rude underclassman with no respect for my elders and my name is Kise Ryota- "

"What?"

Aomine dropped three feet as he stumbled backwards, deep black eyes penetrating him for one terrifying moment, before they inevitably strayed, looking behind him as if he wasn't even there. The one Aomine supposed was his friend, sitting right next to him, nudged him on the shoulder.

"Did you say something, Kasamatsu?"

The other was quick to shake his head. "No, sorry, I thought I had heard something…"

The dead basket player dramatically clutched at his petrified heart in a mixture of fright and surprise. Well, hadn't that been unexpected? But it looked like it had been mere chance, this Kasamatsu would have heard someone else talking, he just so happened to be looking Aomine's way.

Suddenly suspicious, the ghost returned to standing directly in front of him, making all sort of faces to no avail. The Living continued impassively staring at the screen behind Aomine.

The ghost then gave it up and returned with the other ghosts to see Kise bombarding his charge with questions, movie all but forgotten.

.

"…teachers? Like, my homeroom teach was pretty hot to be honest. I think she had the hots for me too, isn't that weird? Oh and- "

"Do you ever shut your mouth?" The oldest ghost of the trio cut in, amused at the way Kise's face pulled.

"We missed you sorely. Where were you, taking a piss?"

"Oh, yeah, discharged a lot of ectoplasm- "

"You're disgusting."

"Oh, honey, you flatter me." Aomine grinned like a savage as the blond glared daggers at him. His focus then fell on the tense kid between them and his features softened. "Has he bothered you a lot, Tetsu?"

"E-eh? No-not at all…" Tetsuya shyly said, straightening to attention. He turned to the model, to make sure it was not misinterpreted. "I appreciate you taking the time of asking these things, Kise-kun."

Kise's façade dissolved into a heartfelt smile. Aomine was so surprised he couldn't utter a word.

"It was my pleasure, Kurokocchi."

* * *

They had sat through the remained of the movie; after it, Kuroko's forced-introverted strength waned into oblivion as Kise had continued on rambling on and on, with the same enthusiasm of a five-year-old; so he was walking (gliding, more like it) in relative silence, as he tried to be polite and listen to Kise, but also tired and just wanting to be alone for a moment. Aomine just seemed to be enjoying the spectacle. At one point, the overenthusiastic teen managed to land a hit on Kuroko –well, a quite energetic pat on the back more like it—which threw Kuroko off balance and he skidded into someone's property, cleanly bypassing the walls like a good ghost.

Aomine stayed out to laugh at the spectacle while Kise hurriedly dived in after Kuroko, a little panicky of having injured the one he had been trying to get in his good graces. The blond ghost fell silent however as soon as he caught sight of Kuroko.

They were intruding on a family dinner, two sons, a daughter, a mother and a father all sitting at the table, forks and knives clinking happily as the family ate and spoke and laughed together.

But Kise wasn't paying them any mind. His eyes were fully focused on the tiny ghost that was staring at the dinner with such a hungry face he looked starved. But, the blond noticed, it did not seem aimed at the broth, or rice or meat. Rather, it was aimed at the family itself, at the smiles and the comfort.

"Kurokocchi!"

Eyes void of any human emotion stared right through Kise, the feral hunger reflecting on them enough to make the blond flinch.

In an instant it was gone.

"...Kise-kun? Is there something wrong?"

"Kurokocchi, let's go…"

"Ah… yes. I guess…" He trailed off as he glanced again at the family, before he turned his back to them resolutely. "Let us leave, Kise-kun."

"A-ah, yeah."

Kuroko's poker face was on, but a shaken Kise was still staring at him when they both exited the house. Aomine's gaze zeroed in on him and his smile slipped from his face like water.

"What happened?" He demanded and both teens jumped in surprise. Kise opened his mouth ready to babble out something and Tetsuya felt his heart drop to his feet, anxious and something else. Rooted to the ground, he felt himself going numb. The sensation spreading from the tips of his fingers, unable to do anything but down, ashamed. Yet he instantly jerked his head in attention as Kise drew in a surprised gasp.

"Kurokocchi? Where did you go?"

"Wha-_Kuroko?" _Aomine exclaimed with urgency, looking around both of them. Kuroko shrunk in on himself further, thinking but unable to voice out a question, he was right there, what they were going on about?

"Did he vanish?"

"He didn't vanish. He shouldn't even know how to do that yet. So where the hell is that boy?" Aomine's eyes went through Tetsuya without seeing him and landed on Kise. His frown darkened. "What did you do?"

"What!? I did not vanish him! Why the fuck would I do that!" The blond immediately reeled back defensively. His eyes started glowing yellow as he glared at Aomine.

"Not that, jackass." The other mumbled darkly, almost as dangerous as he looked. "Inside that house. What did you do to him?"

"_I didn't do anything, listen to me!"_

And while they argued, angrier and angrier by the minute, Tetsuya was still among them, a tight ball of fear hovering just above the ground in silent panic.

The thought that they couldn't see him ran in circles in his mind, and the crouching boy couldn't do anything else but grasp his head in a feeble attempt to keep his wits. He was still there, why couldn't they see him? Why them? Why him? Why again-?

"No… not again. Please." He mumbled, deaf to the argument around him. That was until there was a sudden silence pressing over him.

Then,

"…Tetsu?"

A hand on his shoulder.

Tetsuya looked up and whimpered pathetically when he saw deep-blue eyes staring directly at him.

There was a flurry of activity, voices making noise in his ears, he distantly was aware that there were sparks flashing in the air but all he's sure of are the pair of mildly warm arms encircling him, protecting him, shielding him and he knew no more.

* * *

**AN.**

I knooooow, this is short. But it ended abruptly without my consent and well, yeah… Despite that, I think lots of things happened in this chapter.

What do you think?


End file.
